Pawnshops and Carousels
by AvalonReeseFanFics
Summary: [Updates Sun] HARDCORE PAWN FIC - Sabrina is the girl who got away, the girl who broke Seth Gold's heart. But when she's tricked into working at the Pawnshop with him and his family things start to get... a little interesting. SethxOC
1. Chapter 1

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello Any interested readers! This is a OCxSeth Hardcore Pawn Fanfiction. It's gonna be all dramatic and romantic and funny, hopefully. So leave a review if you're interested._

***All bolded text is voice over like in the show**

Chapter 1

* * *

**Ashley: My dad took over that new store over in Pontiac, and as we're going over the names of our new employees I start to hyperventilate because I recognize a name. So I do some digging and… it is ****_her _****and I can use this to my advantage. It took a lot of convincing but, I managed to get my dad on board and if all goes well I'll have Seth eating out the palm of my hand, or at the very least, so damn distracted at his job that he'll be fucking up right left in center… so much so that my dad will have no choice but to make me manager instead of him. **

* * *

I don't like the way Ashley is looking at me. I don't. All I know is that we're getting a new employee, a transfer from our new location and they're coming in today. Why she's looking at me with that stupid grin on her face, like she caught me with my hand in the cookie jar, is beyond me. I'm not the one who had the new employee transfer here, that was my dad's idea.

Then door opens and my heart stops in my chest.

Because it's Sabrina DeRose.

* * *

**Seth**: **Sabrina's the girl that got away. **

**She was my high school sweet heart, and the relationship lasted all the way through college. I was so in love with her I bought her a ring… which she shot down because I got it out of my dad's store and she wanted her own ring, brand new. I was one down payment away from getting her the kind of ring she wanted when we broke up. **

**It was stupid. I was a wild, reckless kid, and she caught me with another girl that, honestly, I wasn't even that interested in. And it completely gutted me to lose her. She's the girl who could walk back into my life and I'd drop any girl I was seeing to get with her again. So you can imagine my surprise to see her walking into my goddamn store. **

**It doesn't take me long to figure out what Ashley has done, what she thinks is going to happen. And let me tell you, if my sister thinks she can distract me by having Sabrina work in the shop she's got another thing coming. **

* * *

He looks the same.

It's the first thing I think of when I see him again. The infamous Seth Gold the boy who took my heart and played it like a game of whack-a-mole. He's the same height, he has the same intense blue eyes, his hair might be a bit shorter but he still has those stupid earrings I was so against when he got them.

And he's just staring at me.

Anyone else who saw that look on his face would thought that he was glaring at me. But I know better. He's got a lazer focus and it's right on me. That's all. Nothing could tear him away, nothing could shake the attention.

I brush my blonde hair behind my ear I lower my eyes from his. "Hello… uh… hi…"

Ashley moves immediately, pulling me into a tight hug and saying my name like we're besties. Granted we used to be friends back when me and Seth were dating, but we haven't talked since I broke up with Seth. Not that I ever expected her to keep contact, she was his sister first and foremost.

I glance at him again, his hands are deep in his pockets. I know that move. He's trying not to reach for me, whether it be to hug me or to throw me out is unclear so I take a precautionary step away to help him keep himself in control. I force myself to look up at him.

"Hi Seth."

"Hey, Reenie."

It was his nick name for me and it hurts to hear him say it. "It's Sabrina actually."

By the way he looks at me I might as well have slapped him in the face. But it gets that lazer focus off of me and onto the floor, as his jaw pulses away. He's grinding his teeth to keep himself from snapping back. Oh. Boy. Maybe I didn't have to say that to him. Maybe I could have just let him keep my pet name.

"What are you doing here, _Sabrina_?"

"Uh… well I guess I'm Les' new Administrative Assistant."

Now I'm concerned because Ashley is smiling at me in that devious way that told me she had some sort of plan that probably humiliated her brother and Seth just looks confused.

"Les hired an Admin? Really?"

"Nope," Ashley cries in a sing song voice. "No he did not."

Now I'm doubly concerned. Why the hell am I here if I'm not working for Les?

"Hey Reenie," Les cries pushing through his children to get to me. He wraps me up in a huge hug and kisses my cheek. "So nice to see you again, how you been?

"Good. Uhm… I was told you needed me as an Admin Assistant," I tell him because if I get on the topic of how I've been I'll never get back to this.

"Who told you that?"

"Ashley."

"Well I don't know how Ashley got confused… you're not my Admin, you're going to be Seth's."

My heart stops in my chest. I'm going to be what now? "No… that's not… that's not what she said I'd be… I mean… I can't…"

I'm turning bright red, I can't even look at Seth right now. I can't have him as a boss, not when I'm still helpless in love with him. Not when he cheated on me and was probably rolling around with some floozy even now. Oh god, get me out of this situation now!

"I don't need an assistant," Seth growls. Oh thank god it's not me that has to say it. "And she's not fit for pawn business."

My eyes whip up to him. Excuse me?

"You have the thinnest skin out there. You cry at Disney movies."

"Only heartless people don't cry at Disney movies, Seth," I snap. It's like we're back in college again arguing over the same old shit. I'm too sensitive, he's not sensitive enough. Why do I need to pretend to be upper class instead of the lower class I came from because I'm wanted a ring from a store… and not his dad's pawnshop? Or how it was my fault for catching him cheating because I should have told him I was coming home from work early.

We were living together Seth? Why would I announce myself in my own place? Why Seth?!

"Okay. Firstly. I am much better now…" "Your eyes are misting right now." Shut up Seth!"

Oh god we really were back in college again.

"Okay. Let's just go for a walk. Sabrina, you come with me, let me introduce you to everyone else, we'll talk about your job here okay?" Les says, slinging an arm over my shoulders and tugging me away. But even as I go both Seth and I are stuck in a glaring match, our eyes stay locked on one another until It's too hard for me to stay turned around.

I take great pride in knowing Seth turned all the way around to watch me leave. But that didn't mean I could stay here or work with him. Not when looking at him cut my heart open again. But now that I was here was I strong enough to leave him again? Even if he didn't want me, even if seeing him with his new girlfriend would kill me?

God. What had I gotten myself into?


	2. Chapter 2

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Guys! I completely forgot to post last week! Sorry about that. Here's chapter 2. I promise this going to get much better, just bear with me! Don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next week. For real this time_

Chapter 2

* * *

**Les: You know, Sabrina was our favourite girlfriend… of Seth's… I think she was really the only girl we ever really approved of. You know? We watched her grow up in our very kitchen. From her sophomore year all the way through to Seth's third year of college and her second. She was always in the house and in the pawn shop, she always made Seth smile, in fact I've never seen him as happy as I saw him with her. So it was absolutely horrible, as a father, to watch my son grieve for what he lost and for her, because I didn't like that she was unhappy either. If I'm being honest, the only reason I agreed with Ashley about transferring Sabrina here, is because I wanted to see if I could spark the ol'flame of romance between them again. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll get back together. **

* * *

It was killing me. To say the least.

To have the girl I wanted, had dreamed about for years, with in arms' reach and not being able to touch her. To have her tell me that I'm not allowed to use the nickname I gave her. It made me wonder if she was letting her boyfriend call her that. Cause that nickname was mine and I was calling all rights to it.

She had sat in the office with Les for all of ten minutes and for each of those minutes I was outside that door, pacing back and forth the length of the back office waiting for her to come back out.

I wanted to see her again. I needed that door to open back up so I could see her, so I could know what was going on. Because if she was going to be my assistant I needed to lay down the law.

Like she was only allowed to wear short skirts and skimpy tops and she had to bring me coffee every morning paired with a kiss.

None of which I could say to her because I'd be hit with a sexual harassment suit so fast my head would spin. Well she might not sue, but she would sure as hell tell my dad and in some ways that's worse.

"You're hovering," Ashley sings from her desk and now I'm frowning.

"I know why you did this," I snap. "Lying to her, making her come here…"

"Of course I had to lie, it was the only way I was going to get her here. Like she was gonna work with your philandering no good cheating ass again."

That hurt. It really hurt. It was true but she didn't need to wound me like that.

"And besides… look at you… it's already working."

Oh god it was. Wasn't it? I was wound up, anxious, I hadn't paid attention to anything since she had walked through the goddamn door. I was letting Ashley win.

I was going to walk away to prove her wrong when the door finally opened and just like that Sabrina had my full and undivided attention again. I ignored the gigawatt smile practically blinding me from Ashley's face and just stared at the girl I wanted, wanting nothing more than to sink my hands into that familiar blonde hair and kiss her until she agreed to come back to me.

My dad has an arm around her shoulders and she's avoiding my eyes completely. That meant my dad bargained his way into convincing her to stay. I just know it.

"So, we've decided that she will be staying." _Yes I knew it._ "She is going to be your Admin and our Organizational officer."

Goddamn. Part time Les' staff and part time mine. No. It was all or nothing. I wasn't going to share her. I just wasn't.

"What the hell is an Organizational Officer?" I ask and Sabrina glares at me. I'm just happy she's looking at me again, her eyes on me illicit this burning longing feeling in my chest that is making my pants tight and my hands twitch. I just want to grab her.

"I'm going to look at your warehouse, and then create and put together an Organizational scheme so you guys can find things better," she said.

Warehouse. Warehouse was my jurisdiction. She was all mine.

"So she's working for me then," I confirm and my dad nods.

"Ultimately."

"But if you bug me too much I'm going back to the other store," she snaps and all eyes turn to me. Well she's thrown down the law now which means if she leaves everyone's gonna know it was cause of me.

"Bug you? You think I'm gonna bug you, I don't give a shit about you."

Now, have you ever been in a situation where words are coming out of your mouth and you can't stop them? Yeah that was what just happened to me. Everyone is staring at me like they can't believe I just said that, not even I believe I just said that.

All Sabrina does, other than stare at me like I'm a monster, is turn her wounded eyes to my father who is scowling at me.

"Office. Now," he snaps pointing me towards the door he was just sequestered behind with the girl I cared more about then I did anything any and I hang my head and walk towards it. As I'm nearly the doorway I hear my father say: "That will be the one and only time. I promise you. Even if I have to muzzle him myself."

Great.

Just great

* * *

**Ashely: This is Great. She hasn't even been in the store for an hour and she's already doing everything I thought she'd do. Seth is so far off his game, my dad will have no choice but to hand over control to me. **


	3. Chapter 3

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Sorry that this is late guys and that this is a slightly shorter chapter. things are gonna start get interesting in the next couple chapters, are you guys excited? I am! Don't forget to leave me a review and I'll see you next week!_

Chapter 3

* * *

**Rich: I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't surprised to see Sabrina back in the store. Everyone knows about her, of course, or at least I do. I know all about Seth's obsession about her. Just saying her name in the store used to summon him. Now he's distracted as hell… he'll walk off in the middle of a deal to get eyes on her, he's flying off the handle quicker than before. And he's doing this thing where he just stares at her. All the time. We've all noticed, except for Sabrina of course. It's a complete clusterfuck… so I know Ashley's behind this somehow. **

**We're all screwed if Seth keeps acting like this. Completely screwed. **

* * *

It's been a whole week since I started working here and Seth won't even look at me. God knows he hovers, and he asks me questions like I'm an idiot, but he's always been like that. I guess I just thought… by now… he might have made a move on me… you know, if he was still interested. But I guess, he's not interested in me, and really what was I thinking? That after seven years we'd just fall back into place, that he'd see me and realize that he'd do anything to have me back?

Obviously I had dreamed about it, fantasized about it but… you know… my wishes and dreams rarely come true.

Should this be something I'm constantly thinking about? Of course not. Seth has a girlfriend, the girls at the loan counters told me that before I even asked. And I had a boyfriend I was… content with. For the most part. Fantasizing about making out with my new boss, running my hands through his hair, feeling his hands on my body, his arms around me…

"Sabrina, my office, now."

Jolted out of my thoughts I jump and turn my eyes to Seth, who is pointedly not looking at me as he walks past my desk and into his office. Well obviously he's done doing whatever it was he was doing on the floor, but it didn't tell me why I'm in trouble now. He's only be gone for twenty minutes out of the supposed two hours he was supposed to be on the floor for, what could I have done in such a short time to upset him?

I stand up and follow after him, shutting the door behind me because there's a fifty-fifty chance that we're going to end up arguing. We don't yell at each other the way that he and Ashley do but that doesn't mean I want the other employees to hear about us going at it.

"We had a client call, said he talked to you yesterday but I didn't get the message," he says. The question is implied. Which is, why didn't he get the message? Don't know why he just couldn't ask me like a normal person.

"Well… I left it on the notepad…"

"And how was I supposed to know it was there?"

"Well… you told me to write all messages on the notepad… so I figured you'd look at it?"

"Is that what I'm paying you for? Figuring? Come on Sabrina, use your fucking brain, please, it's common sense."

"You're not paying me, your dad is," I snap and fold my arms over my chest. "I believe you were told to not be unreasonable with me."

"I am not being unreasonable, I'm asking you to do your job in a way that doesn't inconvenience me."

Laughable because he was the one who told me to write all his messages on a special note pad in his office… one I had to leave in his office. Which meant taking the message on a different piece of paper and then transferring it to his special note pad.

"Everything inconveniences you, _your highness_."

It's a low jab, it's something I used to do when he got too demanding with me. He hate, hate, hated it. And by the way his eyes bug out I can see that he still hates it.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take my coffee break… far, far, away from you," I growl and turning on heel before he could say or do anything else. I want to cry. I wish I could look into his eyes and watch them soften and shine like they used to when they were young. I wish I could look into his eyes and not see the hatred and loathing behind them.

I wish he still loved me.

* * *

I had been trying so hard. So hard to stay away from Sabrina. I had tried so hard to remain confidently, desirably aloof. But she hadn't fallen over trying to impress me, hell she'd hardly look at me, and I'd know… cause I had been watching. I can't take my goddamn eyes off of her. But when she did look at me all I saw was sadness in her eyes and I hated it because it made me want to hold her to soothe her, to make everything better again like I used to and I couldn't do that anymore. I wasn't allowed, I had lost the privilege to comfort her.

I hated that she could just sit at that desk in front of my office, looking lovely. It should have been criminal that she could look that good twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, or nibbling on her lip as she thought, or when she'd tap her fingers against her desk as she was on the phone taking messages for me.

I had set up this notepad, for her to write my messages on, which meant that she'd have to stand beside me to write them in if I was on the phone or otherwise engaged. But it also meant for however long it took her to write those messages in I was distracted which lead to me fucking up orders and other such issues. She had changed her signature perfume, the flowery scent replaced with a soft sandal wood note that was setting me on fire every time I got a good whiff of it. And I got one every time she was near me because I always inhaled I couldn't help it.

Right now, however, my problem is that she never came back.

After her break, when I had tried to get her back into my office to have her go through papers to help me find something—an invoice she had handed me this morning—that I had hidden purposely so she would have to hover over me and help me look, she had announced that she was going to go into the warehouse to look at all the items and take an inventory so she could figure out how she was going to organize it.

I told her that she was only allowed to do it for an hour because I had more important things for her to be doing and then spent an hour coming up with an acceptable list of things for her to do that _wouldn't_ get me in trouble. Problem was, we were going onto two hours and she hadn't come back to my office.

I wasn't too mad when she was just a half hour late because I knew what she was like, you know? I know what my girl is like when she got on a roll, and I figured once she ran out of steam she'd come back. A whole two hours late… yeah… I'm not happy anymore… I'm pissed.

Mainly cause I'm certain she's doing it to avoid me.

I go into the back and ask the runners if they've seen her. They have not.

Now I'm worried.

Sabrina is a very attractive blonde beauty, there's no way they wouldn't have noticed her poking around. Did she… did she just leave?

I wander around, looking for any sign of her, pretty sure that something had probably fallen on her or she was under a pile of junk or just quietly poking around the back counting things and lost track of time, when I notice a ladder that has fallen. It's in the back of the warehouse in the junk section, no one ever really goes back there except for me and my dad so I'm confused as to why a ladder is there in the first place.

"Seth?"

_Sabrina_. I know her voice. I know the way she says my name. Why am I hearing her but not seeing her?

"Seth up here."

I look up and there she is, her head poking out from the third shelf up. I blink my eyes not sure about what I'm seeing.

"What the hell… Sabrina? What are you doing up there?"

"Uh… inventory. I needed to see what was behind everything… there's uh… a lot of stuff I don't think you guys can sell..."

I'm very well aware of that but that's an argument for my dad and I, not between Sabrina and I. Instead I glance down to the ladder at my feet and suddenly understand what happened. "You can't get down can you?"

"Well uh… the ladder fell… so… no."

"And how long have you been stuck up there?" I call out though I have a feeling I know how long. She glances to the watch on her wrist.

"Uh… about an hour or so."

Well that solves that mystery. She wasn't avoiding me she was stuck. I shake my head at her and try not to smile. If we were still dating I'd be negotiating a price for helping her get down, but right now, I just want her back on solid ground cause I'm not sure the shelving unit can hold her weight and the weight of all of Les's garbage.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I don't have my phone, it's in my desk."

Well at least she didn't say that she _didn't_ want to call me.

I shake my head but pull up the ladder and rest it against the side. I hold it steady for her as she climbs down, and as soon as she's close enough to me, I have a hand to the small of her back to help guide her the rest of the way down. Even though it's the most minute of contacts, it's just a whisper of a touch, I'm suddenly on fire with this desire to scoop her up and kiss her. This madden, crazy, utterly preposterous desire.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she says with a laugh. "For a while there I was sure I was going to have to live up there or something. Like some kind of warehouse gremlin."

I laugh at the thought. That she thought she could just go missing and I wouldn't go looking for her. I'd have found her no matter what.

But then she puts a hand to my chest, just a slight tap, just a small gesture as she continues to talk to me, but I don't hear her words. The second she voluntary touched me, for the first time since we had broke up, I lost my damn mind. My hands dart out and grab her pulling her to my chest before I can register what I'm doing.

And then that's us stuck there in that position.

Sabrina is flat against me, I can feel every inch of her. I can feel her heart in her chest, I can feel each and every breath she took. I was looking into her eyes. I could kiss her. I could just lean down and press a kiss to her lips… all I had to do was…

"What are you doing, Seth?" she cries twisting out of my grip and take a few steps away.

I realize I was angling downward in an attempt to kiss her and I'm more than a little disappointed that I hadn't got a chance to go through with it, at least one last time.

"You have a girlfriend," she hisses and that's true. I do. But I won't after this. Because it's painful clear that I can't just have Sabrina within arm's reach and not react. It's even clearer that I'd rather have Sabrina, and if I'm going to try and work this out the girlfriend will have to go. "And I have a boyfriend."

_Fuck._ She did? Why? How dare she work here and be with someone else. Didn't she know? Didn't she know how much I want her?

Instead I incline my head in a brief nod. Just to signal that I heard her, and that I understood. She didn't say anything else to me though. She turned. She turned and left me there. Our moment is lost forever like all the other memories I had left behind when I lost her.

As soon as I'm sure she's gone I pull out my phone. I didn't matter if Sabrina was with someone else. My girlfriend needs to go. I could work on getting rid of Sabrina's boyfriend later.


	4. Chapter 4

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Here we go! Another chapter that's late. Maybe I should just move the posting date to Monday. If I mess up next weeks posting date I'll switch it. For now enjoy the next chapter it has a lot of cuteness in it. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 4

* * *

I get to the store, purposely late, because people have been noticing that I'm either early or arriving at a certain time because of Sabrina, and I find that Sabrina's out on the sales floor.

What. The. Fuck.

She's standing there, her green eyes wide as saucers as a giant African-American-thug-life male is hovering over her shouting at her. She has her pad of paper clutched tightly to her chest and our Head of Security, Joe, has a hand over her shoulder to ward the guy off.

But it's not enough.

This man is intimidating my girl… okay she's not my girl yet, but I'm working on it. Either way this guy needs to go.

"What's the problem here?" I ask stepping into the conversation. I haven't even bothered to go to my office first, so I'm standing there in a puffy jacket and my side satchel. I'm shoulder to shoulder with her and ready to shove her out of the way if it looks like things are getting out of hand.

"Who is you?" the guy says swinging his attention away from Sabrina and onto me. Great. Good. I can handle it.

"I'm the owner." "Oh, yous the owner?" "That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Kool, kay look. I called in and I was told that you guys could appraise my TV, but like, it's too big to lug down here so I took a pic on my phone and I was told that it's okay and den dis bitch tryna tell me that she can't…"

"I keep trying to tell you sir, that we need to see the item to appraise it. I'm not allowed to appraise an item off of a picture."

"And I keep tellin you… _bitch_… that I'mma get my money so look at my damn phone and tell me whatchu gonna give me!"

And then I've stepped in front of Sabrina, officially getting his attention away from her once and for all. I fold my arms over my chest and glare at him. "Firstly. Lower your fucking voice in my store. You don't yell at me, or my employees. Secondly, she is not a _bitch_ she is a lady. Thirdly, she's right, we can't appraise the merch with just a picture, so get your TV here or you ain't getting your money."

His hand came at me before I knew what was happening, but I knew it wouldn't hit me, because Joe was faster. But Sabrina, Sabrina gasped like she had just watched me get knocked out. Her hands gripped my sides like she was getting ready to pull me away a second too late, I can feel her grip through my jacket and it's giving me shivers. Joe took the man down and got him out of the building. Usually I'd go out with them, but Sabrina was my focus now, and there was nothing that could take me away from her. When I turn to her, her hands let go of my sides to hold my arms, her green eyes staring up at me like I'm some sort of god.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "Did he…? Did he…?"

I'm smiling, ear to ear. Because she's worried about me. My Sabrina is actually worried about me. She wouldn't do that if she didn't care. There _is_ hope!

"Of course I'm fine. Joe can handle him," I say with a shrug. I put my hands to her shoulders just to feel that she's okay. "The real question is why are you out on the floor?"

"Your dad said that we're really busy and everyone has to be on the floor… even your internet guys."

Even my… oh goddamn it Les. Growling to myself I say: "Okay, you know what. Ignore him. Go back to your desk and stay there okay? If he says it again just say no, you know he'll let you get away with it."

Sabrina nods and then runs off. I set my self, square my shoulders and get ready to face off with my dad.

* * *

**Les: Seth just bursts into my office. Throwing down his bag and pitching a fit. Telling me that I can't be putting his staff out on the floor, as if this isn't my store and my staff. I don't see the point of having guys in the back when they can be out at the front making money. He's right I don't get the point of having the internet guys, I don't see the money Seth says they're making. And besides, I know that the real reason he's angry is because I had Sabrina out on the floor. He's not fooling me or anyone in the store. The only person he has fooled is Sabrina… and himself. **

* * *

Well… I'm back on the sales floor and I'm not liking it but I've stuck myself next to Ashley because I figure that is safest for me and that maybe… I might learn something useful. Like how to stick up for myself for one.

"So… uh… how are things with… you know… Seth…" Ashley asks me her eyes pointedly anywhere away from me. I glance to where Seth is standing, at the counter by the memorabilia. He's with a customer at the moment, his arms folded across the broad expanse of his chest. The sleeves of his black pinstriped dress shirt are rolled up and he has his focused glare on his face.

In other words, he looked damn fine.

"I'm still mad at you for lying to me," I reply also not looking at her. I'm not that mad, of course. It could have been worse. And could I really be all that mad at her when she brought Seth back to me? Even if he wasn't really mine.

"Well… how else was I gonna get you here?" Ashley says finally throwing me a little bit of a smirk.

"Mm… you've got a point. Still it was underhanded and uncalled for and we both know you only wanted me here because you wanted to throw Seth off of his game. Well the jokes on you because it has not worked," I answer smugly.

"Oh it hasn't?" Ashley asks, quite sarcastically. "And here I was thinking that it had worked just like a charm."

I turn to her surprised, how did she figure that? But before I can ask her a woman has approaches us asking us to help her. She has a pair of earrings she'd like to sell. Ashley takes them from her and looks them over using her jeweler's loupe.

"And how much did you want for them?" Ashley asks.

From where I stand, they look nice. Big rocks, nice looking gold, recently polished. So, I'm not surprised when the woman says: "I'd like 500."

"Mm… yeah I'm not going to be able to help you with that," Ashley says dropping the loupe and staring at the woman. My eyes widen in horror why is she sassing the giant black woman? She places the earring she was examine down and stare at the woman. "How would you like twenty? Would that help you out?"

The answer was no it would not help her out. In fact, she immediately started screaming. Which I get cause to pay a thousand for a pair of earrings only to find out that they're worth nothing would upset me too. But maybe Ashley could have said that a bit more nicely? Was I going to say that to her now, though? Hell no!

But the woman was screaming at us and I wish I could just intervene to maybe help calm her down. But I'm not sure Ashely would like it if I were to intervene but it's getting so out of hand that I just don't want it to come to blows.

"I understand your frustration, ma'am," I say putting a hand out and her wide crazy eyes turn to me. "I'm sorry we can't be of more assistance, but we can only do twenty today. If that's insufficient for you, we understand if you'd like to take your business elsewhere."

The woman is now looking me up and down slowly like she hadn't quite realized I was there before and she's clearly not impressed with what she sees.

"Who do you think you is talking with all those long words? You think you a fucking dictionary bitch? You think you smarter than me cause you're using fancy fucking words, bitch?"

That was not the point, of course, nor was I really using and long or fancy words. But this woman was angry and she was going to stay angry. There wasn't much I could do about it. Luckily, I don't have to worry about interacting with her because suddenly, and without asking him, Seth has appeared beside me.

I practically jump because where had Seth come from? He was… he was across the store, how did he get here so quickly? Wasn't he with a customer?

"Ma'am what's the problem?"

"I've got this Seth."

"No, you don't have this, Ash, otherwise she wouldn't be screaming."

"No, no, really Seth, it's okay, me and Ashley got this," I tell him hoping to diffuse what will be a giant sibling fight before it can even happen.

But Seth ignores us both and turns back to the woman and her earrings. As she tells her tale about how Ashley and I wronged her and how much her earrings were supposed to be worth, I watch Seth. Was he really going to do that to me? Was he really going to disrespect us both like that in front of a customer?

"Well… I can tell by looking at these that they aren't real diamonds, so we can do… twenty if you want to pawn them."

That was legit word for word what we had just said! Why the hell had he come over here and interrupted us, if he was just going to say what we had said.

The woman started yelling again, which got Ashley back to yelling and it ended with Joe taking the woman and forcing her out of the store.

Ashley went with them, no doubt to taunt the woman, but I stayed where I was with Seth beside me.

"Why are you on the floor again Ree… Sabrina? Why? I told you not to listen to my dad."

I turn to him blinking my eyes at him calmly. "I can't say no to Les," I whisper reverently. "It's Les freaking Gold, there's no saying no to him and you know it."

"Go. Back. To. Your. Desk."

I bow my head and move to walk past him. "Oh…" I say before I can stop myself. "You literally said everything me and Ashley said. You should… you should trust us next time."

I leave him there, feeling his eyes watching me as I go. I'm not sure if he's mad, I'm not sure what he's feeling. But I know that I'm elated. That's the second time Seth has come to my rescue… even when I didn't really need it and it just makes me feel… like maybe… maybe he still has feelings for me. Girlfriend or not.


	5. Chapter 5

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: And here is chapter 5 and I'm on time! So I'm pretty proud of myself. Next chapter is going to be a flash back that should make all of you go d'awww. So don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 5

* * *

I can only hear screaming. The door is shut and all I can hear is unintelligible screaming.

It's mostly Ashley but I can also hear the boom of Seth's voice too.

I know they're arguing about the earrings. I know that Ashely was a little… well… abrupt with the customer, but I also know that Seth butt in without us asking… when he knew that Ashley hated that.

It was like he was purposely antagonizing his sister.

_Of course, I had to intervene! You had Sabrina right beside you!_

Or… at least… that kind of sounds like what he just said. But I don't know why Seth would be screaming that at his sister… so I must have miss heard him.

But people are looking at me and the sales floor looks slammed so I figure… I figure I can help out while they're yelling at each other. Just until they're done.

I'm out on the floor for two seconds before an older man comes up to the counter. I smile warmly at him as he drops a box to the counter.

"Can you help me?" he asks in a wheezing voice.

"I can sure try. What do you have today?"

"A music box."

The music box in question is an elegant pastel carousel with golden trims and perfect porcelain horses. He turns the knob and it starts playing a familiar tune. _The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy_. My eyes go wide, my heart palpitates. I can _never_ turn down the Nutcracker or carousels, and this has _both_.

"Wow… how much are you thinking?"

"About six hundred."

I pick it up carefully and look it over. It doesn't seem that old, but it's older than me. There's a few chips but nothing too big. It's definitely not worth six hundred though.

"Mmm… well… I can't help you out with six hundred," I say to him. "Would fifty help you out in anyway?"

"No, I… my wife… she needs to go into long term care and… I… I need help paying the bills."

Oh. My heart. Okay, calm yourself Sabrina, it's probably just a sob story. Les is always telling the others not to buy the story at face value, that applies to me too.

"Well… uh… I guess we can make it 100, if that's better?"

Did I just go up too high? Gosh I wish Seth were here… or Les… or even Ashley, they were all so good at negotiating.

The man shakes his head. "No, sorry, the lowest I'll go is 450."

I wince. I'm smart enough to know that there's no way I'll get away with giving him that much.

"I'm sorry. Really. The highest I'll go is 150. Cash right now," I add just like Les would.

The man shakes his head. 150 is not enough I know it isn't but if I go any higher then that Les will kill me… Seth would kill me… and Ashley would sit there smiling as it happened.

"I guess we got a deal."

Whoa wait…. we do? I try to contain my joy as I write up the ticket and take it over to the window for him. And then that leaves me with the carousel. Just in time for the Gold family argument to be done.

Seth and Les are on me immediately and I grin up at both Seth and Les but their faces do not wear the same happiness as mine.

"Whatchu got there, Reenie?" Les asks. I haven't had the heart to ask him not to call me that, besides how could I look Les in the eye and tell him that it hurt me to hear that nickname uttered by people who weren't considered my family anymore? I ignore the way Seth's mouth twitches with the desire to say something about it and show them what I have, but as soon as they see it they are no longer smiling at me. In fact the looks are not positive ones. Les looks angry and Seth looks horrified. And now I'm second guessing myself.

"It's… it's a music box."

"How much did you buy that for?" Seth asks me.

"Well… he was asking six hundred…" "Oh _god_!" "But I got it down to 150."

"150?!" Les shouts. "For that?!"

I clutch the carousel a little closer to my chest. Oh dear this was not good.

"I thought it was… pretty… and the song's unique… it's in pretty good condition and you guys… you guys buy unsellable stuff for stupid sentimental reasons all the time!" I cry.

"But we own the store!" Les shouts but Seth's eyes have narrowed at me.

"Sentimental… Sabrina… why did you buy that?"

"Because… it's… it's a carousel."

For a moment I delude myself into believing that Seth wouldn't remember the significance of a carousel, but it's only one second before the realization dawns on his face and he's looking at me in a completely different way. It's a look of pity and I look away from it. God I should have just stayed in the back.

* * *

**Seth: Our first kiss was on the Brigg's Family Carousel. Sabrina and I were cozied up in the swan chariot and I just swooped in to kiss her and she let me. It was everything a first kiss with your true love was supposed to be. I saw fireworks, she saw stars and we couldn't stop kissing each other for the rest of the ride. Seeing her there, holding that music box carousel in her hands I'm suddenly taken back to that blustery fall day where a sixteen-year-old me kissed a girl and set myself on a course of love, romance, and eventual heartbreak.**

**I realize the second she tells me she bought the music box because it was a carousel that it means the same to her as it does to me. And I know that no matter what happens today, I'm going to make sure she doesn't have to pay my dad for that music box.**

* * *

I finally tear my eyes off of the carousel and turn to my dad. "It's got a unique song, it's a good size, and it's mostly intact… I mean a few chips but nothing too big or noticeable. I'm more than 100% positive we can sell that for a profit," I tell him.

I feel Sabrina's eyes on me but I don't dare look at her. Les is no longer looking at her either. "You think you can sell that? And for a profit?"

For Christ sake I just said that. "Yes. Easily. No problem."

"Oh yeah, why don't you bet on it?" Ashley asks appearing out of nowhere. Why the hell is she chiming in now? She wasn't a part of this conversation before.

"Bet on it?" I echo but my dad has perked up. "Yeah! Let's bet on it."

"Ugh. Fine. If I sell it by the end of today you owe me 50 if I don't sell it…" "Ashley get's your office!" "Shut up Ash! If I don't I'll buy it off of you for 200."

"Whoa… no… if you don't sell it, I'll buy it!" Sabrina cries. "It's my fault after all."

Fault. Her fault. No, it wasn't, it was dad's for putting her out on the floor in the first place. I wasn't going to let her loose money on it.

"I'll buy it," I repeat sternly to my father before I turn to her and pin her with a stern glare that doesn't affect her at all. "If I don't sell it and you still want to buy it off of me, then we can negotiate something."

She scowls at me, no doubt thinking that I'll bargain for something outrageous… or something she doesn't want to do. Like go on another date with me. Ohhh… yes… now I really don't want to sell this carousel.

My dad takes the bet. We shake on it. But when I go to take the carousel from Sabrina she won't let go.

"Sabrina… give me the carousel," I order but she shakes her head. "Sabrina…"

"No, I did this. I messed up. I should pay for it."

My eyebrows raise up in surprise. I'm not going to let my girl do that. Even if she isn't my girl right now… or ever again at this rate. But I know my girl's faces. She's not going to back down.

"Okay, how about we make a deal, okay?" I ask. Her eyes narrow at me. I used to out negotiate her all the time, and as a result she doesn't trust me when I say certain things… like _how about we make a deal_. "Here's what we'll do. If I don't sell it, we'll go half."

"No."

"Sabrina… I'm not gonna let you pay 200 for that thing."

She tucks it a little closer to her chest and says: "But I like it. I really wouldn't mind."

She likes it, huh? I shake my head at her. "Give me the music box, Sabrina, that's an order."

Reluctantly she hands it over to me but before I can even put it on display she cries: "Wait… can I listen to the song just one more time?"

I hand it back to her and then watch as her eyes light up as she winds it up. See… now we have a problem… because I don't want to sell it anymore. I want to buy it.


	6. Chapter 6

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello everyone! A little late again, but I'm still counting it as a post for Sunday. (I haven't gone to sleep yet, so for me it's still Sunday.) This is one of my favourite chapters so I hope you guys like it too. Don't forget to leave me a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 6

* * *

**Seth: I met Sabrina when I was a Junior and she was a sophomore. And it was love at first sight. Or at least it was for me. She always claimed to have not have been very impressed by me when we first met. But that doesn't matter. You see, it was that day and that first date that change my life.**

* * *

It started when I bumped into her.

She was this small little brunette and I hadn't even noticed her. But the second my shoulder checked hers and the books spilled out of her arms she had my attention. Normally I wouldn't care, normally I wouldn't give a second thought about knocking books out of someone's hands, but something about the way she squeaks when the books hit the floor makes me stop.

My friends leave me behind because they don't care either, and for a second, I just watch her. I don't know why but suddenly I'm crouched down beside her and helping her with her books. I don't know why this girl is carrying them, but I recognize them, they're sophomore books, so I know she's a year younger than me. Not that it matters, I'm only into older girls but when she finally looks up to me, when those green eyes link with mine the older girls rule goes out the window because I've instantly decided that I'm taking this girl out… tonight.

"Sorry," I say just as she says: "Thank you."

I stand up taking her books with me, and she follows after me. I take a good long look at the girl in front of me. She's wearing her kilt at the right length, which is shocking cause most girls roll their kilt up at least two inches. The white of her dress shirt is impeccably starched and her green blazer is nicely pressed. She's a good girl. The kind of classy-type girl that had nothing to do with bad boys like me unless they were trying to disappoint daddy on purpose. But I also realize the reason she's carrying her books is cause her book bag is broken. She'll need someone to carry them to her class. That's gonna be me.

"Can… can I have my books back?"

I counter with a: "Where's your next class?"

"Uh… second floor, History with Mr. Cripnick," she answers. Only one of those answers was the one I wanted but that's okay. I figure she's rambling because she's nervous and that's a good sign for me. I head off in that direction and she trails after me.

"Wait… uh… you don't have to… I mean, thank you… but I'm fine… I can carry my own books."

I immediately think that she's not from Detroit. She's too nice, too polite. Or she's a pushover. I'll need to toughen her up if I'm going to date her…. Wow where did that come from? Okay, move on, focus on the first step. A single date, tonight. That's the goal here.

"I know, but uh… I figure you could use the help," I say. I hold open a door for her and she thanks me as she walks past. "Uh… are you new here?"

"No," she whispers. "I mean… sort of… I transferred this year, but I've been here all fall."

I take that in. So, she wasn't here last year. She doesn't know me or my friends… which means I could stand a chance with her… unless she's heard the gossip. Then maybe I don't.

Not that I was a really bad kid or anything, but uh… I had a certain… uh… reputation for uh… running through girls, running my mouth, and starting fights.

"Cool. Explains why I haven't seen you before."

"I don't think we're in the same year."

"No, you're sophomore, right?" I ask and she nods. "Yeah I'm a Junior. But I never forget a pretty face, and I definitely wouldn't have forgotten yours."

She blushes and lowers her eyes to her books in this cute way that makes me smile, we're silent until we get to her class. She should be going in soon, the bell's going to ring. I know she's gonna be the type of girl that doesn't want to be late. I quite frankly couldn't care less.

"Thank you for all the help and the escort but can… can I have my books back now."

"Mmm, not yet," I say and that lovely smile I'm already used to fades off of her lips. "How about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

"Mhmm…" the bell rings and a frantic look dawns on her face.

"This isn't funny you're going to make me late!" she cried.

"Then make me a deal."

"Me make a deal?"

"That's what I said isn't it," I say with a devilish smirk on my face. "Tell me what you're willing to trade."

"Trade?"

"Come on," I say quickly as people begin to file into their classes. "You better hurry up."

"But I don't know what you want."

"I think you can guess," I say to her and for the first time I don't mean anything R-rated. But the way she pales you'd think I asked her to blow me right there in the hall. I mean… I had done something like that before, but that girl wasn't as classy as this girl right in front of me. But I got slapped then and I'd definitely get slapped again if I tried it.

"I'm not that kind of girl!"

Of course she's not. Doesn't mean I won't ever be able to convince her to be. I had the allure of an older man, and I was a bad boy. Plus, I was the son of Les Gold, there wasn't anything I couldn't negotiate.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm only asking for a date."

"A date?"

"Miss. DeRose," Mr. Cripnick snaps coming to the door. "Stop socializing and get inside." He takes one look at me and frowns. I drove Mr. Cripnick crazy last year, he does not hold the best opinion of me. "If you know what's good for you, you wouldn't be wasting your time on Mr. Gold either.

I scowl at him but she turns to him, quite flustered and said: "Thank you sir, uhm… I'll be right in."

He glared at the two of us a bit more before going back into the class and she turns to me again and quickly says: "Fine. You can treat me to milkshakes and burgers at MOTZ this Friday."

Friday was two days away. No. I needed something sooner. So I counter with: "Wednesday."

"That's today."

"Yep. Wednesday. After school. All the burgers and Milkshakes you want. On me," I say.

"Miss. DeRose!" Mr. Cripnick shouts from inside the classroom and she throws a frantic _I'm coming_ over her shoulder before glancing back at me.

"Fine. Fine. Today after school. Meet me at my locker."

She rips the books from my arms and then turns away from me and that's when I start to panic, cause I don't want this to end just yet. "Wait where's your locker?"

She shoots a playfully challenging smirk over her shoulder as she says: "You're the man with all the answers, I'm sure you'll figure it out," before she disappears into her class. I smile. Standing there all alone in the hallway, watching the door to her history class close I'm grinning ear to ear because she thinks she gave me an impossible task. All she did was prove that she wasn't as good as she was making herself out to be. That was going to make this more fun.

* * *

It doesn't take long for me to find out who I was talking to. My friends are on me the second I'm out of history class. Everyone had heard the news by then, it had spread like wildfire.

Mousey new girl, Sabrina DeRose was talking to Seth Gold. And not just talking to, but walking with, having him carry her books, and got asked out by, Seth Gold. _The Seth Gold_.

They kept saying that like I was supposed to know who he was. I did not. But boy did I learn.

Seth Gold is a bad boy. His father owns a pawn shop, which explains why he was so good at negotiating. He flies through women. He only dates older girls. He's rude, late, never in class but somehow passing all of his classes, and always in detention. He's constantly getting in fights and he's never, ever carried anyone's books before, he's never even stopped in the hall when he's bumped into someone.

He's also never asked out a girl younger than him, he only asks out older girls. He's never walked any of his girlfriends to class either. And he's never nice to other people.

So, what the hell was he doing asking me out, walking me to class, carrying my books and generally being nice as old hell to me?

That's what everyone kept asking me. And well… how the hell was I to know? It wasn't like I asked him to do any of that for me. I just thought he was cute… and nice… and… and… I'm new here so I don't know who's bad or not. Okay… I mean I could tell he wasn't good just by looking at him, but he had been nothing but a gentleman to me. Guess my first impression of him was wrong.

Being new was going to be my saving grace. Maybe, if I was lucky no one in his circle of friends would know me and therefore, he wouldn't be able to find my locker at the end of the day. But despite not wanting to go on a date with Seth Gold I still found myself looking for him in the halls or during the lunch hour. I guess I thought… maybe if he saw me… he'd come up to talk to me again and I could explain how incompatible we are. But I never saw him.

Until it was the end of the day.

And there he was.

Leaning against my locker with a thick leather fall coat on and a side satchel across his chest. I actually stopped walking I was so surprised. Both by his appearance and by how attractive I found him to be.

This had never been a problem before. I have never been this attracted to a person this strongly before. It wasn't like I hadn't found boys to be cute, but no one had ever taken my breath away like this boy had. To be honest, I barely paid attention to other people let alone boys. I was always more interested in books and reading.

He smiles when he spots me, a confident cool smirk and his hands go from being crossed over his chest to deep into pockets.

"Hello Sabrina."

The way he says my name is enough to give me chills. He knows my name. He did his research. I wonder which one of my friends told him about me.

I force myself to walk over, my arms clutching my books tightly. "Hello Seth." But he doesn't look pleased that I know his name.

"And how long did it take for someone to tell you who I am?" he asks. Ah so he thinks he's hot shit. Confident and cute and he knows it, that's the worst kind of guy to have. Or so my books have told me.

"Almost immediately. How long did it take you to figure out who I was? The whole day?"

"Two periods."

"Yeah and which one of my friends sold me out?"

He laughs and I almost jump at the sound. He thought I was funny? Really? No boy had ever found me funny before, or at least no boy I was interested in dating had found me funny before. A hand comes out to take my broken bag from my back. The only reason I'm carrying it is because it's holding my wallet and bus pass in one of the pockets.

"What happened here?"

"Guy tried to mug me this morning, broke the zipper before he realized I had nothing but school books and bus pass. Doesn't zip up anymore, therefore making it impossible for me to carry anything in it."

"Someone tried to… are you okay?"

He looks concerned. He looks angry, something in his jaw is pulsing and I wonder why he cares so much.

"Yeah… I'm good. I can handle myself if I need to."

It doesn't look like he believes me. But he peels his eyes away from me and looks into my locker like it's the most interesting thing in the world. "And which books are you taking home?"

I look at the books in my arms and the ones in my locker and try to remember what I needed for homework. I had worked on my homework during my spare period and my lunch break so I didn't really have much left. Just math, science and religion.

I take out the three books but before I can settle them in my arm, Seth has taken them again and is fitting them in his bag.

"Don't forget they're in there… or you know… go a head, any excuse to have me drop them off at your place, right?"

I stare at him, my breath catching, the desire to ask him what this is all about dancing on my lips but I don't ask him that. Instead I look away and say: "You don't have to… you know… I'm younger than you and we… we probably don't have anything in common so if you wanna run now you can…"

He frowns and kind of scuffs his boots against the floor. "So they told you like… everything then…"

"You mean, like how you only date older girls, and you're never nice to anyone and you're always in trouble and rarely in class?" he scowls and looks away and looks… well… upset. "You know I'm younger than you right?"

He nods. Okay well, that's good at least. But he looks so crestfallen that I feel bad. Maybe he actually did want to take me out, I don't know. Maybe he's not as bad as everyone says he is. "Okay, uh… well… I'm a big believer of trying everything once, so if you're okay with me being like your polar opposite and the girls you usually date and a year younger than you I'm down for at least one date. One date won't hurt right?"

He's smiling again and I realize that I like that smile, and I want him to always smile. I quickly shut my locker and then I fall into step beside him. I wonder if he'll take my hand, I wonder if I'll let him take my first kiss tonight. He smirks at me and I'm certain that I'm going to make him wait, cause he's the kind of guy who's gonna run the second he gets what he wants. But when he reaches out to hold my hand, his fingers interlacing with mine, I have a feeling that it'll be harder than I think to not cave the second he asks me to.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to talk to her, to be around her. It was like I could be myself with her and she wouldn't care, she'd like me the way I was. Her hand, it fit in mine perfectly. Her smile was breathtaking, and her skin was soft. She laughed at all my jokes, like she genuinely thought I was funny, and she actually ate her entire burger, all her fries and drank her whole milkshake.

She was the perfect girl.

I was actually quite upset to hear that everyone had warned her about me. That their warnings might have changed her mind about wanting to go out with me that night. And while it might have affected her to begin with, she had changed her mind right back and we had gone out after all. I had escorted her home because she was a lady and I wanted to make sure she got home okay. Though, the main reason was because I didn't want this night to end. It wasn't even late but she wanted to be home to finish her homework.

Plus, with the bus being as busy as it was, I got to hold onto the overhead bar and she held onto me… well my jacket but I'd take it.

We walk about a block before she comes to a stop and I sigh. This was it, this was there was our night was going to end. But hey… at least I'll probably get a kiss out of it.

"This is me," she says pointing to a rundown apartment building. I nod. She's about forty-five minutes away from my house on the transit. I don't even care, I'd travel hours to see her. "Uhm… can I have my books back please?"

I was hoping that she'd forget but I'm not that lucky. I pretend to think about it, and she breaks out in a giant grin and slaps my shoulder. "Give me my books Seth I have math homework to fail."

"I can help you with math," I say with a suggestive grin on my face as I flip open my side satchel and reach for the books I've been carrying for her. Even though I don't want to, my dad wants me to take over his pawn shop one day, as a result I spend a lot of time working on my math and negotiation skills. Both of which I'm distressingly good at, like I just had a gift for it. It's working out in this case cause I can tutor her no problem though to be honest I'd be offering to do it just to spend more time with her.

I offer them up to her and as she takes them I let go of the books and grab her wrists. It's easy to tug her to me, because she doesn't resist but when I move in for the kiss she backs away from me, holding those books to her chest again like they were a shield. She doesn't look afraid, though, instead she smiling at me. She's just playing hard to get.

"Aw come on, not even a good night kiss? I paid for dinner, I let you steal my fries, I escorted you all the way home, I gotta get something," I say to her and she smiles again but shakes her head.

"Uh-huh, I'm not that kinda girl," she says to me and while I know that to be true, I also know that she likes me, I know I can get her to cave.

"Maybe just one on the cheek?"

It's an easy con, she moves in for the kiss on the cheek and with a quick move I'd get her lips, but she's wise to my tricks and shakes her head again.

"You got a mischievous look about you Seth Gold, I'm not sure if I trust you," she whispers and though I'm disappointed I smile because it's one date and she already knows me. It's like we've always known each other. It's never been like that with a girl before. "I don't kiss on the first date."

I take that in with a smile on my face. I make a big deal about sighing at her as I say: "Well I guess that means I have to take you out again, Saturday? Movies? My treat…. Of course…"

She smiles again, her light green eyes darting up and down me in an appraising manner before she says: "I mean… I guess… but I get to pick the movie!"

I offer her a hand to shake which she takes immediately and I say: "Deal."

But she doesn't let go of my hand, she takes a pen out and writes her number on my palm and as she does I just stare at her face while she's concentrating. Her face is lovely and I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at it.

"Here, now you get something out of it _and_ you can call me tomorrow with the details," she says and I nod.

I made sure to watch her get through the door before I turn back to catch the bus home. I called her that night to tell her I got home okay, and helped her with her math over the phone. I was waiting by her locker when she got to school following morning and when she got out of her final class. And that still didn't stop me from calling her the following night as well. From that moment that on, I met her by her locker every morning, I did my best to walk her to every class, I always met her at her final class or by her locker and I called her every night. She had me whipped before the second date and she never even asked me to be.

* * *

**Seth: Sabrina caved on the not kissing right away thing almost immediately. Like. Legitimately on our second date. I took her to the movies, and didn't try to kiss her once. I let her pick a girly romantic comedy to watch, I bought her popcorn, and though I was sorely tempted, I never once made a move on her. Okay that's a lie, I put my arm around her, but other then that I was a complete gentleman. It was a hunch I was following, that if I didn't act like I wanted it, she'd jump on me. It didn't work. And let me tell you, sixteen-year-old me was _not_ having it. On the way back to the bus she spotted the Brigg's Family Carousel, she mentioned she had never been on it and I was shocked. How could a native Detroit-er not have been on the Brigg's Family Carousel? Sure she was from a different part of Detroit but come on. I got her on it, we sat in the Swan Chariot, so that we could sit together. I put my arm around her again, and she snuggled up into my side. I swear, I wasn't going to do it, but she looked up at me with those wide green eyes, eyes that trusted me… eyes that didn't see the bad boy… eyes that just saw me… and then I was moving in for the kiss and… well… she let me get away with it. **

**I was sixteen when I first kissed Sabrina DeRose. I didn't know what love was, but I knew, after that one kiss, that Sabrina DeRose was going to be my forever. And five years later, I fucked everything up and neither of us have been happy since. But it doesn't matter because it's been six years since the day I lost her and I still think she's my forever. I just need to get her to see that too.**


	7. Chapter 7

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Look at me updating on time! Did you guys like the flash back chapter? In this one we're gonna see how the carousel is faring and whether anyone will buy it. And we're gonna see some crowd favourites, like Rick. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 7

* * *

"Rick, I need you to push this," Seth says putting a musical carousel into my hands and then just lounging back and staring at me. I look at the music box in my hands surprised. This wasn't the kind of thing that Seth would buy so I'm confused as to what I'm looking at. Or why I have to be the one to sell it.

"Uh… what?"

"Look, I've got a bet going with my dad that I can't flip it, can you help me please?"

I assume that the bet was for Seth to sell it so he's probably cheating but I don't want to get in on it. So I just smile and take it from him. "Well I mean…sure… what am I asking for it?"

"Well she paid 150 and I said we could get at least a 50-dollar profit, so set the price for 200 but if you can get it higher that would great."

"Someone paid 150 for this? Who the hell did that, did they get fired?" I ask him as I turn the music box over in my hands and he looks away from me. There's a pink tinge to his ears and his jaw bone is pulsing away. I narrow my eyes at him now because this is suspicious and I can think of only one female in this store Seth would ride to the rescue to… or let get away with something like this. "You said a _she_ bought it? Was it Sabrina?"

"Does it matter who bought it? Can you just do as I ask?"

"God, if this is the type of shit that girl buys you better keep her off the floor," I say with a slight scoff but I should have known better because Sabrina's always been a touchy subject where Seth was concerned.

"Okay. Firstly, I'm dealing with Sabrina and keeping her off of the floor. Alright? She didn't want to be there and neither do I want her there. Les made her. Let it go. Secondly. She likes carousels okay. She thought it was worth something, and as I've already said, we can probably get at least fifty dollar profit off of it. Everyone's allowed to make mistakes we should just be grateful that she didn't make a bigger one. Thirdly. I don't care who you are, but no one talks about her like that…"

"Why are you yelling at him?"

Oh, thank god. Saved by the crush.

Seth stops immediately, the color draining out of his face and goes completely silent. Sabrina turns to me with a narrowed look of distrust on her face. "What did you say about me?"

"I didn't say anything," I tell her because it's true. I didn't really. I just questioned her judgement.

"Why is he telling you not to talk about me like that?"

I glance to Seth who is lost to us both. She doesn't even see it. The look on his face is pure longing, he wants to do something, I don't know what but it's something. He hasn't taken his eyes off of her face and his hands are rooted deeply in his pockets. No doubt to stop himself from doing the something he so clearly wanted to do to Sabrina. Well, now that Seth's lost to the world I can tell Sabrina the truth, so I show her the carousel and say: "I questioned your judgement on this."

Anyone in the Gold Family would flip at the thought of someone second guessing one of their purchases or any of their decisions. But Sabrina isn't a part of the Gold family, so she doesn't look upset by my honesty instead her smile widens. "Oh yeah, I fucked up bad on that, but I couldn't resist," she says pulling the music box out of my hands and winding it up. "Just listen to that, how could I resist that?"

The song that's playing surprises me. It's a Nutcracker song, but not one of the more popular suites and that's really rare. "Whoa, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?" I say. "Yeah, I can work with that. This bumps the price up at least a hundred or more."

"Kay, so I have three hundred right now, can I have it?" she asks me and now I'm more confused then before. So, what? Did she buy it for herself? This was common with the Gold's but Sabrina wasn't a Gold, she passed up that chance when she threw that engagement ring right back at Seth's face after he cheated on her.

But her request gets Seth back in motion. "I told you, Sabrina, you're not buying the carousel."

"Aw come on Seth, it's so pretty and it plays one of my favourite suites. Even if I buy it, you'll still win your bet with your dad."

I sit back and watch the two of them argue. It's funny to see Seth try and negotiate with Sabrina and lose. Mainly because back when they were younger, she used to be out negotiated by him all the time. She seemed to be doing much better against him now… or Seth was so into her that he had lost his touch with her. He always did falter when pretty girls hit on him, but it was so much worse when it was Sabrina.

Seth must have realized that he was losing to her because he turns back to me and says: "Don't let her buy it. That's an order." He then turns back to her and snaps: "My office, now."

"Can't I listen to the rest of the song?"

"Sabrina."

"I'll be right there when it's done," she says with a smile and Seth seems reluctant go.

"Seth, Ashley, office now!" Les calls and now Seth is torn.

"Don't worry. I won't buy it, I'm just going to listen to the music," she says and he sighs and leaves her there being sure to shoot her one last glance before he ran off at his daddy's call.

I look back to Sabrina who is watching him go and I am very tempted to just tell her that Seth adores her and to put the boy out of his misery already. All she had to do was say: hey Seth, let's make out, and the boy would probably trip over his own feet to get to her. But I don't say that to her cause I know if I do, Seth would lose his mind.

Once he's gone Sabrina turns to me that smile back on her face. "Kay he's gone, seriously how much to buy this carousel."

Yeah, I'm not that stupid. I sell that to her and Seth will have my beard. And her big green eyes do nothing for me.

"Nice try. I'm not getting in the middle of this Reenie," I tell her and she sighs.

"Ugh, you used to be fun."

I watch her storm off and I sigh again. I thought it might be fun having her back in the store, at least just to watch Seth squirm but now that It was blowing up in my face it's not as much fun anymore.

* * *

**Les: I'd be stupid to not have noticed what's happening. Seth watches Sabrina like a hawk. He doesn't want her on the floor because then she's not safe. He wants her at the desk outside his office so he knows where she is. His eyes rarely leave her, I'm having a hard time getting him out on the sale's floor to help negotiate for items because he wants to be in the back with Sabrina. And now that Sabrina is getting up from her desk to go visit that carousel every ten, fifteen minutes, I know it's only a matter of time before Seth ends up in my office. **

* * *

Someone wants the music box.

I had my guys post it online and someone wants the music box. Willing to pay 450 for it.

Problem is. I don't want to sell it.

I have just spent the whole day watching Sabrina with that carousel. She wants that stupid thing. And I want to be the one to give it to her.

But I also don't want to lose this bet. I mean, I will if it means I can make her smile, but… you know… I'm super competitive. I don't really want to lose.

I watch as Sabrina gets up again and crosses across the office to go play with the carousel… again. God-damn it. That's it, I'm going to do it. Screw my pride, Sabrina's smile will be worth the blow to it.

I leave my office and go straight into my dads. I shut the door and then sit across from him. "I have a buyer for the music box, they're willing to give me four-fifty" I tell him and my dad smiles widely because it is good news. "But I have a problem."

"What's the problem?"

"Sabrina wants the carousel… bad…"

My dad just stares at me. "Okay… and?"

God he's going to make me spell it out. "Right. I forfeit the bet."

"What? Why?"

I throw down the two hundred I said I would get someone to pay for the music box and push it towards him. "Cause she wants it and I'm buying it for her."

My dad smiles. He smiles like he knew this was going to happen. He smiles like I just playing into his scheme. Which makes no sense because how would he know I was going to do this, I didn't even know I was going to do this.

He pushed the money back towards me. Shit he's going to make me pay 450. "Keep it. The bet's off."

"No, I'm throwing it purposely, take the money."

"Nope. You're doing something good, something nice for someone else. You think I haven't seen her with that stupid music box? The bet's off, you don't have to buy it."

"If I don't buy it, we don't make a profit."

"Her birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Yeah it's in August but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well… save it until then. It'll be a gift from us."

I reluctantly take the money he's offering me and stick it back in my pocket. He's got a point, it's a good idea and no one has to lose any money on the deal. I thank him and leave the office.

I'm going to have to wait for Sabrina to be distracted before I can steal that Carousel back from Rich. I want this to be a surprise.

* * *

I can't explain why but I love that music box. I love listening to it. I love the way the horses move, and they actually do go up and down, instead of just spinning round and round like a normal carousel. I love every bit of it, even the chips. Which is why I'm super excited that no one's gone near it even though Rich is walking around with it and showing it off.

It's almost the end of the day, which means I'll be giving Seth my money to take it home. But right now I just want to listen to the song one more time. Even though I said that five minutes ago.

I glance back at Seth who is on the phone and immediately leave my seat, despite him telling me not to a million times today, and rush back to Rich who is no longer carrying my music box.

I frown as I approach him and note that he actually looks quite afraid of me. "Uh… where's the carousel?"

"Seth took it," he tells me raising his hands in surrender and I leave him immediately. I storm back into the back office and then walk into Seth's office. I know the only reason he's taken it, it because I keep going over to it and he wants me to stop. He's scolded me every time he's found me over there.

His eyes find me immediately even though he's on the phone and he lifts a finger to tell me to wait. Unnecessary because I know better than to interrupt anyone while they're on the phone but I nod so he knows I understood the order and then shut the door as quietly as I can behind me.

I wait patiently for him to finish, fiddling with my fingers in a nervous fashion, a habit I've always had and still can't break. As soon as the phone call's done, he turns to me with a big sigh like he's preparing for a fight and asks: "What's up, Sabrina?"

"Where's the Carousel?"

"It was sold."

"What? How? No one's been up to see it. Rich would have told me."

"It sold online. 450 bucks. That's a 300-dollar profit, and I won my bet, high five," he says. I blankly give it to him not sure why it upsets me so much that it sold. I mean… it's just a music box. I guess because I had my heart set on it.

"Oh… that's… great."

"Yeah, and you can save that money for something great, like a new haircut or something."

"A new haircut?" I echo with a frown, unconsciously a hand has gone up to the ends of my hair as if I'd feel the hideous style he seems to be implying I have. "What's wrong with my hair?"

Seth falters. He blinks his eye as if he doesn't want to, or know how to answer that question. "Wha… uh… nothing?"

"Then why do I need new hair, Seth?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest as I glare to him. Seth just stares at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, trying to stutter out some kind of answer and failing miserably. "You're an asshole, Seth."

I storm away trying to hide the tears in my eyes. This is ridiculous it's just a stupid carousel… so why does it feel like I lost Seth all over again?


	8. Chapter 8

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: So this chapter is gonna be a shorter one. But it's filled with super cute things. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 8

* * *

**Bobby J: My car got broken into. I mean, I know I work in a bad area, but like… come on, all they got was loose change and a car charger. Was it worth it? Really? Was it really worth it to turn my car upside down for that? Let's hope that they show up here, cause I'd love to catch these guys and show them what happens when you fuck with Detroiters.**

* * *

A car crashes in the parking lot and we all rush out.

We rush out because we want to make sure that the people who crashed their cars are okay, but we're also rushing out because we had just apprehended a girl trying to steal from the cars in our parking lot and they're saying that one of the cars was in the process of being stolen when it crashed.

I'm ready to apprehend another car thief. I'm ready to put this behind me. I am not ready to see a familiar silver car, tee-boned by a black SUV's back bumper.

"Seth… is that… is that Sabrina's car?"

I know it's hers before Ashley even bothers to ask me about it because as soon as I recognized the car, I'm sprinting towards it calling her name.

I let the guards deal with the car thief, all I care about is Sabrina. But when I get to he driver's side door, it's locked and she's just lying there in the driver's seat. I pound on the glass and call her name and though it rouses her she doesn't seem able to focus on anything. She's looking back and forth from the carnage to me. I can see a trickle of blood dripping slowly down over her eyes, and suddenly I'm more than frantic to get her out of that car, in fact I'm surprised I haven't broken the handle off her door from jerking it so hard.

"Sabrina open the door! Sabrina… Sabrina open the damn door!"

She moves, thank god, but it's not good. She just stares at me, blinking her eyes slowly. She doesn't understand what I'm saying, she doesn't open the door. I turn to the frantic faces around me, I think I might cry, I just want her out of the car and in my arms.

"She won't open the door. What do we do?" I ask.

My sister and my father each try rapping on the window as I hadn't just tried that. And just like when I tired it my Sabrina's head is just lolling from side to side. Oh god, please, please don't let her die in this car in front of me.

"We have to get her out of there."

"We'll wait for the jaws of life…"

"We don't have time for that dad!" I shout. Running and hand through my hair.

"Break the window then!" Ashley shouts, shoving me to get my attention as I bang on the window just to try and keep Sabrina awake.

"So, the glass can cut her up? Yeah. Smart Ashley!"

"Well you don't know what to do either, so stop YELLING AT ME!"

I go to shout at her again when Rich decides he's done with us. He goes around to the passenger side, the side of the car that got hit and with one quick hit breaks the splintered passenger side window and unlocks the doors for me. Once they're unlocked, I have the door open and I'm unbuckling her and then pulling her from the car.

Her eyes are on me but they still won't focus. I clutch her to my chest try to determine if she's okay and how bad the damage is. I press my hand to the side of her head that is bleeding, feeling the pounding and the warm, wet stickiness under my fingers. But she's breathing, and her heart is beating and that helps calm me down but only barely.

I have her cradled in my arms and it must be too tightly because I can hear Ashley and my dad asking me to let her go, but I can't, I can't because I'm afraid and I've just sort of locked up.

"Seth?"

It's the first word she's said since the accident and it overjoys me to know that it's my name. It's me she's asking for.

"Yeah, Sabrina… It's okay. You've been in an accident. I need to know where else you are hurt? Is it just your head? Are you okay? Reenie talk to me, talk to me."

And then she pulls my face down to hers and kisses me.

* * *

**Ashley: Holy shit. Did she just kiss my brother?**

**Rich: Ah fuck us. If we thought he was bad now, it's going to be worse after this. **

**Les: Yes! I knew it! I knew if I put them together the sparks would fly. **

**Seth: Good god this has to be some sort of sick nightmare but I never want it to end.**

* * *

I had tossed my dad her keys and told him to take her car to a garage where a buddy of mine could fix up her car for her and then I was in the back of the ambulance with her and her cloudy green eyes. She got the sense knocked out of her, I could tell, because she was smiling at me and holding my hand. And talking about a really bad dream she had where her and I had broken up.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't a dream. I wanted to hold onto this too because as soon as she remembers we broke up everything's going to go back to the way things were before. And for right now, even if it is just in her own head, she was my girlfriend again.

The doctors took her for examination, they let me sit with her and hold her hand. She was quiet and subdued and just wanted to rest her head on my shoulder and rest but they won't let me let her sleep.

They had to give her stitches and while they were doing that, they told me what was wrong with her. She had a concussion and what was probably a retrograde or selective amnesia. They wanted her to stay overnight to make sure that she was okay and since I was such a "doting boyfriend" and Sabrina got extremely upset whenever I tried to leave, they let me stay with her. They figured sooner rather than later, once her head cleared, all the symptoms would fade, which meant she'd remember that we broke up.

But I did not pass up the opportunity to sleep with Sabrina curled up to me again. Problem was as soon as she woke up whatever had clouded her memory had officially and properly cleared up, just like the doctor said it would.

"Seth… what are you… why are you… where am I?" she cries sitting up, yelping and then pressing a hand to her head. "What the hell happened? Was I in a…"

"Car accident? Yeah, yes you were," I tell her. "You uh… hit your head pretty hard. You have three stitches and a concussion. You were pretty out of it yesterday… you uh…"

Her hands fly to her face in horror. "Oh my god I thought we were still dating. Oh… no! I made you stay here didn't I… oh god… oh Seth I'm so sorry."

I stare at her and realize that telling her, right at this moment when she was just coming back to the real world, that last night was the best night of my life… aside from worrying about the state of her health, is not going to help her. It would probably make things worse.

Plus it kills me to hear her talking about yesterday like it means nothing, that it was nothing but a mix-up and otherwise wouldn't have happened if she had been in a proper state of mind. Which you know, it was a mix up, but that didn't mean I wanted hear her talk about it like that.

"It's fine Reen… Sabrina. It's fine. I'm just glad you're okay. Did you want me to uh… I mean I probably should have notified him last night but do you want me to call your… b… your b… "

"Oh no. no. it's okay. I can call him later," she says quickly which is great because I couldn't bring myself to even say the word _boyfriend _let alone offer to call him for her. "Thank you though… do you need to uhm… do you need to go home?"

Hope flares up in my chest and try to not show it on my face. Was she asking me to stay? Cause I will, in a heartbeat, if she wants me to stay. "No. Would you like me to stay? Are you asking me to stay?"

"Well I mean, I don't want to keep you… don't you need to go to work?"

"If you want me to stay Sabrina tell me and I'll stay."

I fold my arms over my chest as she glances back her lips twitching back and forth as she thinks. "I… I'd like you to stay… uhm… if you can that is… I don't want you to…"

"Kay, just shut up and lie back down," I say tugging her back down to the bed. I shift out of the bed so she can be more comfortable. "I'll uh… I'll get you a coke, you still like those, right?"

"Coke for breakfast?"

"A sugar free one," I say with a smirk which wins me a sheepish smile. "I'll see what has bacon in the caff too, bring it up for you. Okay?"

As I'm leaving I hear her call: "Thanks Seth." And my grin widens and there's a skip in my step. I think Sabrina and I just turned a corner. I'm one step closer to winning her back.


	9. Chapter 9

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Another chapter late. Sorry Mother's Day kept me busy yesterday. I hope you enjoy this new update, Seth is moving on little quicker with Sabrina, hopefully things work out with them. Don't forget to leave a review and hopefully I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 9

* * *

Ashley storms out of Les' office, tears in her eyes. She comes to her desk, picks up all her stuff and begins to put on her coat.

I watch her go concerned. "Oh, wait, Ashley, are you okay?"

"Just shut up!" she snaps at me and I blink her eyes. Wow really?

"Don't tell her to shut up just because you…" "Oh fuck off Seth! Fuck off and fuck you!" she screams as she heads for the door. "Just leave Ashley! Just leave!" he calls which makes no sense because she's already doing that and then the door slams behind her.

I turn to him and he's just standing there with his arms crossed over his chest while he's shaking his head. "Sorry about that… she's just being…"

"Well I mean, you disrespected her and a customer on the sales floor in front of everyone and then she was trying to talk to your dad about it and you interrupted so…"

"Wait… she literally just told you to shut up why are you on her side?"

"Well… she doesn't normally tell me to shut up Seth, she was just very upset... cause you're constantly being rude to her. Why… why do you have to do that?"

Seth glares at me. I clearly haven't said the right thing. I haven't been able to say the right thing since I got out of the hospital. I've apologized a hundred time for kissing him, I explained just as many times that the hit to the head had knocked me senseless, but no matter how many times I apologized he stayed mad at me.

"Wow, okay, so you're all for the store going down?" he asks. That was a leap, where the hell did he get that from? "Because Ashley is chasing customers away, making ridiculous purchases, and you're on her side."

"As opposed to you who bought an Olympic torch we can't sell and made a ridiculous purchase on a UofM jersey no one wants?"

"Okay you know what, go home Sabrina. Go home for the day."

My mouth drops open but, it occurs to me to argue but Seth has stormed into his office and slams the door after him. Oh that… that asshole! Really, he's sending me home because I sided with his sister? Really? He was still that petty? I get up quickly, my cheeks red in embarrassment, grab my purse and quickly leave. I can't believe he did that to me, or maybe I can. Here I was thinking that Seth had changed, but clearly… clearly I was wrong.

* * *

**Ashley: I haven't been in my car for more than thirty seconds when someone's knocking on my window. I assume it's going to be my dad to ask me to come back, or maybe Seth who's either going to gloat more or has been sent out by my dad to apologize. I was not expecting Sabrina. **

* * *

"And then he just kicked me out. He just kicked me out Ashley!" she shouts and I nod. Am I surprised? Course I am. My brother's obsessed with Sabrina, in his eyes she can do no wrong, he must have been pretty pissed to kick her out.

We're sitting in a food court eating mall pretzels and soft serve ice cream in a pay as you go massage chair. This discount spa day was my idea. After we're done our snacks we're going to head to Sephora for face masks and samples to try.

"Well my brother's a dick."

"Okay. Maybe he's a dick to you but he's usually not like that with me."

Of course not. He's trying to get back together with her. He may not have said anything, he may not have actually made a move yet, but I know my brother. He's just evaluating all the options, he's playing the long game. Problem is, Sabrina doesn't realize that and she doesn't know what he wants, and the longer he waits the more confused she'll be.

And if I wasn't so mad at my brother I'd tell him that. But I am mad so I don't care what happens… but I do care that Sabrina's upset.

"Okay, you know what… I gotta ask, do you still have feeling for my brother?"

Sabrina colours and looks away from me. "I have a boyfriend, and he has a girlfriend."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean you can't have feelings for him or him for you."

"Seth doesn't have feelings for me."

Everyone in my family knows Seth still has feeling for Sabrina. He has told everyone who would listen that she's the girl that got away. He dotes on her, he hangs on her every word and follows her around the store. If a patron even so much as looks at her the wrong way, Seth is there, arms crossed over his chest, a deadly glare on his face ready to jump in to protect her.

Sabrina was the only one who didn't see it.

"If you still like him, you should tell him," I say to her and Sabrina just lowers her eyes and shakes her head. "No really. You forget, I was there when you guys broke up. I saw how badly it affected him. Losing you really broke him and he hasn't been the same since."

Sabrina won't look at me anymore. She does that when she's either about to cry or she can't handle what you're saying. She was like that for a full year after her father died.

"I unno I'd just consider it. Or don't, my brother's a dick and he doesn't deserve you anyway."

She laughs at that and I half smile and finish my ice cream. Okay time to get off this topic. "You ready for Sephora?"

She nods and we get up.

* * *

**Seth: It doesn't take me long to realize I've fucked up. But by the time I go out to apologize, Sabrina's already gone. Her car's in the parking lot but she's gone. I take a look at the camera feeds and I see her get in Ashley's car. My dad's worried that Ashely won't come back and we'll stop being a family store, I didn't care about that, but I sure as hell care that she took off with Sabrina. What if she convinces Sabrina to quit with her? God. What have I done?**

* * *

We return and Seth's car is parked right beside mine but Seth himself is leaning against my car.

"Well… would you look at that…"

"Nope not going out there."

"Well you're going to have to," she tells me. Seth is standing now staring at us through the window. His hands are in his pockets and his jaw is pulsing away. I just stare back at him. I don't want to have the conversation he wants to have, the one that is I can clearly see on his face.

"Please don't make me, I had such a nice rest of the day, please don't let him yell at me," I cry to her.

Ashley just shakes her head at me. "I doubt he's going to yell at you," she says a secret sort of smile on her face. But when I just stare at her with a look I hope she reads as a _I don't believe you look_ she adds: "Alright, you go talk to him, and I'll stay in the car and if it looks like he's going to yell at you, I'll come out, okay?"

"You promise?" "Yes, I promise." "I swear Ashley if you drive away—" "—I swear I won't leave you, I swear on my baby's lives."

I scowl but I open the car door to get out. Seth has gotten closer to me without me knowing so when I get out he's right in front of me.

"What are you still doing here Seth?"

"You left your car in the lot, I couldn't leave until you got here," he tells me.

"Ashley has keys she could have let me in," I remind him and he sighs and nods. "Why are you really here Seth? What? You want to yell at me some more because your sister and I went out today?"

"No." "Then what do you want?" "I want to apologize, okay?"

I stand there and stare at him. Seth Gold's pride was large enough that it had its own solar system revolving around it. Seth Gold never apologized, never admitted he was wrong, and usually just ignored what happened and moved on. This was a completely new territory for the both of us and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But Seth takes my silence as permission to move forward because he immediately lowers his eyes and begins to talk.

"I was out of line today. I was mad at my sister and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

I blink my eyes. "Did you… did you just admit that you were wrong?" I ask with a bit of a smirk on my face.

He half sighs and looks down to his feet, the hanged head used to mean I won, I think it still means I've won. "… Yes Sabrina… I was wrong… I can admit that now. I mean I still don't like it, but I'll do it."

WOW that's a major change from college. I wonder how far I can push my luck. "Can you apologize to Ashley too?"

Seth looks uncomfortable but he glances to Ashley's car before turning his eyes back to me. They had a pretty big argument this afternoon and he does hate to admit he's wrong.

"She made a shitty call," he says shaking his head.

"Can you please, just apologize to her? You really hurt her feelings today, Seth, and she's your sister. It's the least you could do."

He sighs again, runs a hand over his face and then moves past me and to Ashley's car. He knocks on the window with three sharp raps. Ashley rolls it down and Seth leans down. "I stepped over a line today and I am sorry. If you come back tomorrow, I will do my very best to not take over one of your deals or disrespect you on the sales floor… if you can stop yelling at me on the sales floor too."

I don't hear what Ashley says but her and Seth shake hands

"God you're lucky you're cute," he says to me as he heads back towards his car which is parked right beside mine.

"You think I'm cute?"

Seth pauses and suddenly becomes quite flustered. "I mean… I've always thought you were cute…"

"I'm joking Seth," I say and he nods. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He nods again, opens his mouth as if to say something else but quickly decides not to and just turns and walks back to his car. I wave good-bye to Ashley and return to my car with the stupidest, biggest smile on my face.

It's a little too early to tell, and I don't want to get my hopes up, but Ashley might be right. I might still have a chance with Seth.


	10. Chapter 10

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Are you ready for a cute chapter cause this one is super cute. This is where things sort of start to look up for our star crossed lovers. I'd love to hear what you guys think so far so don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 10

* * *

Today was the day. Today was also her birthday, but today was the day that could make or break us. I had thought long and hard about how I was going to do this. At first, I wanted to give it to her myself, but we've been awkward and unsure of ourselves since she was hospitalized… or at least… I felt awkward and unsure. I felt like something had happened between us, even if it was just because of her concussion, but I didn't know if she felt the same way. And because of that I had started second guessing everything. What if she didn't like the gift? What if she got mad at me for tricking her? Maybe I was just worried for no reason, maybe I was paranoid but I went with the coward's way out.

I wrapped up her carousel, signed a card that my dad and sister forced me to let them sign as well and then left the box waiting for her on her desk. That way when she gets it, it's not coming just from me, and I can hide in my office while she opens it. Which leaves me waiting impatiently for her to come in and see it where I left it on her desk.

Though she only comes in ten minutes after I left the box on her desk it might as well have been a lifetime. I was on pins and needles watching as she walked in.

"Morning," I say to her. Ashley's _good morning_ is paired with a _happy birthday_. But my happy birthday is written on the card, so I say none of that to her.

She says _good morning_ to both of us, thanks Ashley for her _happy birthday_ and then stares at me carefully waiting for me to say it too which I don't and then I don't have to worry about being looking like I'm being polite because her eyes are on the box waiting for her.

I'm practically hyperventilating as she peels the wrapping paper off. But she doesn't open the box, she stops to read the card. The happy birthday from all the Golds with the added note from me.

My heart races as I watch her mouth along with the words.

_You're not the only one who remembers our first kiss._

And then she's opened up the box and the musical carousel is on her desk. She stares at it, winds it up quickly and then just sits there as the soft sounds of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy floats through the office. She's smiling, this big huge misty grin. I've made her cry. Happy tears, I think… I hope.

And I'm grinning ear to ear. Ear to bloody ear. Until I notice that Ashley is also sitting at her desk but instead of watching Sabrina open her gift she's been watching me. Ashley had just seen all of that and was smiling at me like I had just handed her the rights to my office.

I slam my door shut before she can say anything. Damn I wish she hadn't seen that.

* * *

**Seth: I mean, on one hand I'm pissed because Ashley's winning. I'm constantly distracted, I've been fucking up easy tasks and even easier negotiations because my mind is always on Sabrina, and I'm always watching out for her out of the corner of my eye. But damn, did you see that smile though? I swear that won me MAJOR brownie points. I may finally have made up for cheating on her. Okay that's going a little far, but maybe she'll consider forgiving me for it now. Or at least letting me call her Reenie again.**

* * *

I don't care that Seth's door is shut. I don't care if he's possibly busy, I don't even care that he has a girlfriend. This music box, that note, it all means so much to me and I'm so terribly overwhelmed by it.

I open the door and find him just standing in front of his own desk, leaning against it, looking down to his crossed feet. He looks distraught about something but it's not in my mind to ask him about it. He looks up to me, he starts to ask me why I'm in his office but it's too late.

I've crossed to him and thrown my arms around him, practically jumping him to kiss him. Seth is momentarily surprised for all of two seconds before his arms wrap around me and he starts kissing me back. It's just like our first kiss on that carousel, all these stars and fireworks are going off and Seth is holding me both tightly and gently like he's afraid I'll break while I've grappled onto him like an octopus. I've missed this. So much so. So much that it hurts. God, how I have lived so long without this, without his arms around me? How could I have forgotten what this felt like?

I suddenly realize what I'm doing and throw myself off of him. I had only meant to thank you, but instead I've practically attacked him. What the hell is wrong with me?

I back away wildly and he just stares at me with a look on his face I almost recognize. It's a look of shock and unabashed desire. This was not a good idea, this was bad, the was bad for my heart which couldn't take another shattering at the hands of Seth Gold. This was a terrible, terrible mistake.

His hands reach out for me again and it takes all my power to not throw myself into the warmth of his embrace. I need to fix this now. "Oh gosh, oh geeze. Seth… you gotta stop letting me do that, you have a _girlfriend_," I hiss to him and he just sighs and rolls his eyes.

Seth looks hurt for all of two seconds before he just sighs and shakes his head. "No. it's okay. I mean… I should have… it doesn't matter… I mean… who wouldn't want to… uh… yeah… I'm just glad you uh… you like the music box."

"I love it… course I love it…" I tell him again. "I hope you didn't have to pay for it."

"Yeah… good… great… what? No… pay for it… no… dad… uh… he let me out of the bet when I told him it was for you… so long as he got to sign the card… so yeah… no… we didn't… yeah…"

"Again, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I hope this doesn't affect things with your girlfriend," I blush and look away so I miss whatever look comes over Seth's face.

But I don't miss the whisper of: "I don't have a girlfriend anymore."

I look up at him surprised. "You don't? When did you… why did you?"

"After the warehouse… you know… I just figured that… since I had no self-control it would be better to… I don't know. It's stupid. She's gone."

Wait he dumped his girlfriend before the _first_ kiss? And then it dawns on me. His pale cheeks but bright red ears. The way his eyes are lowered to the floor and his hands are so deep in his pockets I can barely see his wrists. It's me. He left his girlfriend because of me. _Because I entered his life again and he couldn't resist me_. Seth isn't over me. Maybe he never got over me. That doesn't matter. Because right now, I have Seth Gold in front of me, admitting in his own way that he still likes me.

"Oh. Cool. Okay," I whisper. And then without a second thought I launched myself at him again kissing him again over and over again. He holds me tightly to himself groaning into each and every kiss.

He pulls away slightly and I take that as he wants me to stop. But when I try to push off his chest his grip tightens.

He's breathless and shaking, his eyes half closed. "You uh… you mentioned a boyfriend."

"Yep."

I wait to see if there's anything else but then he's swooped in to kiss me. For a while we just keep kissing one another until he stops us again. "He needs to go Reenie."

I don't have the ability to talk right. My knees have gone week but all I can think about is his kisses and how I need more from him. "Yep."

He slants his mouth across mine again before breathlessly whispering: "I mean like right now."

"Yeah. Seth. I know. I'll get rid of him. Tonight. Promise."

And then we're kissing again. He pivots, shuffling us towards his desk. And once he has me against it, he's straining to get between my legs. And there was nothing more I want at that moment then to be with Seth. To have everything I lost back.

But not in his dad's pawn shop. Not in his office against a desk. I am not that kind of girl. He knows that.

"Nu-uh," I whisper to him. He growls lowly, his hands pivoting from my hips to my back to press us closer together. "No… Seth."

"Reenie…" he growls against my lips. "Don't do this to me."

"You know I'm not that kind of girl," I whisper to him. "I don't fuck on the first date and you know that."

"This isn't our first date, far from it."

He has a point. But it doesn't matter what he said I wasn't ready to go that far with him yet.

"That doesn't matter Seth. Not here. Not now. Not yet," I whisper against his lips and he groans but relents. "Friday at seven?"

"Thursday at six."

"It _is _Thursday."

"Tonight at Six, Reenie."

"Okay, firstly, it's Sabrina," I say and his eyes flash with pain and I quickly scramble to explain. "The musical carousel won you a few freebies, but you haven't earned it… yet. And secondly, no negotiating. It's tomorrow. Friday. At Seven."

I finally manage to push him away from me. I straighten myself out and walk towards the door. Leaving Seth braced against his desk trying to reign in his emotions and desire.

"Fine. Tomorrow. Seven," he concedes and I almost do a little dance of joy.

I smile wide at him. "Can't wait." and then I shut the door behind me

* * *

**Seth: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes! Yes! YES! _YES!_**


	11. Chapter 11

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Alright guys, here's the next chapter. So Sabrina and Seth's first date will not go as planned but I promise that it will be super cute. So don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 11

* * *

Do you have any idea how hard it was to work right beside Sabrina after that kiss in my office? Do you know how hard it was to stand beside her, to sit in my office watching her, and not pull her to me to go for another round?

Do you know how hard it was to go home, to go home without her? Or how hard it was to then sit at home knowing that the following evening she'd be on a date with me?

And do you have any idea how upsetting it was to have her be late for work the next morning? It was pathetic how quickly I jumped to my feet the second I felt her near-by. But nothing was as heart stopping as when I saw her face.

I came out of my office to greet her, to say good-morning, to ask why she hadn't called like she said she would when she officially ended things with her boyfriend, and to ask why she was late. I was not emotionally prepared to see half her face practically swollen.

She had this glaring red bruising across the right side of her face, looking like someone had hit her with a baseball bat. She hadn't even looked that bad after the car accident. And I'm immediately on her, my hands on her shoulders trying to assess the damage.

"Oh my god… Sabrina… what happened?"

She seems surprised to see me. Like she didn't think I would be in today. Like this wasn't my job, or my dad's store.

"I… uh… I fell."

She's lying. Why is she lying to me?

"I uh… I'm sorry, I was hoping to speak to your dad, is he here?"

I nod, a hand coming up to brush against the bruise which causes her to wince. I know she didn't fall but I can't think why she wouldn't want to tell me what had happened to her. Didn't she trust me? I mean, I know things are still new between us but… I mean… she could trust me.

"Can we talk later?"

I didn't want to but I agreed and then let her go into my dad's office and shut the door. But I didn't go back into my office, instead I stood outside my dad's office until she came out again.

She jumps when she sees me and that worries me. She's startling easier than she usually would. I'm starting to think that this wasn't an accident but something has happened to her. And it has to be bad if she won't tell me about it.

"What's going on?"

"I'm uhm… I'm going to go home for today," she says and I nod, I get that. Her face probably hurts. "Can we… uhm… can we postpone? I don't really want to go out looking like this."

It's disappointing but I get that too. "Yeah, uhm… sure, take all the time you need and when you're feeling better let me know, okay? Or just you know… call me… if you need me or you're bored or something."

She nods, she thanks me, she pulls me into a tight hug and kisses my cheek before leaving again and I watch her go. Something's wrong, and I want to ask my dad but he's on the phone and waving me off so I can't do it now. But best believe I will be finding out what happened. ASAP.

* * *

I'm on the phone for the better part of the morning. Lunch rolls around and I'm thinking foot long subs and sugary drinks my wife doesn't want me to have. And then Seth is in my office.

"What's going on with Sabrina? What did she need to talk to you about?"

Wow right down to business. He always did have a lazer focus when it came to that girl.

"We talked about what happened," I say with a shrug.

"Okay but _what happened_? Why did you need to know about it?"

The _and not me_ was implied, I'd have to be an idiot to not have heard it, even if Seth hadn't said it. I realize she hasn't told Seth and that doesn't surprise me. He has anger management issues where she's involved so I get it, but I can't leave him in the dark when her situation could affect the store.

"She filed a restraining order against her ex and needed me to know not to let him into the store," I tell him. Understanding has hit Seth, and I can see it in his posture and the sudden stiffness in his jaw.

"He hit her?" he asks, his voice low.

"Yep. More than once."

The confirmation is what gets Seth. He shifts in his chair, his eyes blink rapidly and I swear I can see the anger building up inside him.

"She's already gone to the cops, and filled out everything she needs to file. She's provided us with his information and his picture so we can make sure he doesn't come here," I tell him and Seth nods.

"Well let's hope he never comes to the store, cause if I see him I'm going to break his fucking neck."

Seth gets up and storms out. I can only wonder when the hell he's just going to tell that girl he still loves her.

* * *

**Seth: My girl got attacked. That fucking asshole Ex of hers hit her. She has a restraining order that she had to fill my dad in on, but that doesn't make me feel better. And how could it? My girl got beat up and I wasn't there to help her. I wasn't the one who protected her. Well… I can tell you right now that that's not going to happen again.**

* * *

I'm in my apartment but I don't feel safe. Eric, my ex, had been arrested, and handed his restraining order. I told the officers he had a key but they didn't find it on him. I want to leave the apartment but my cat, Escobar, doesn't like leaving the apartment and I don't even know where I'd go.

I'm sitting on my couch trying not to have a panic attack when someone knocks on my door. I jump. I'm startled. It can't be Eric… he's still in lock up… has he given the key to someone else to beat me up? No they would have just used the key by now.

I stand up and quickly cross to the door. I glanced through the peep hole and straighten. Now I don't want to open it up for a completely different reason.

Why the hell was Seth at my door?

I know better than to ignore him. He's not going to leave. He will stand at my door and knock until I open it up. And to be honest, I kind of really want to see him too. So I open the door.

I hope to god he doesn't recognize the hoodie I'm in, the one I'm using to hide the bruise on my face.

"Hi Seth," I whisper and suddenly he's pushed past me and into the apartment.

"Hey, hope you don't mind, but I brought over all your favourites," he tells me. He's already heading for the couch, dropping a pizza box onto my coffee table. He takes a carton of chocolate ice cream out of plastic bag, followed by a bottle of baileys. "That is… you know… if these are still your favourites."

I smile warmly and shut the door behind me and then realize he's staring at me. "Uh… is that… is that my… is that my missing UofM sweater?"

Oh god. Deflect, deflect, _deflect. _"Not that I'm not happy to see you but uh… what are you doing here?"

He looks down at the floor and then back up to me. "Well we said tonight we'd go on a date tonight. I know you're not up to going out, but I thought you might like to stay in," he tells me and I almost break out in tears right then and there. "I brought movies for us to cuddle and watch together. No horror. I promise."

"Okay… well… I guess you can stay," I say to him moving forward. "Let me just put the ice cream in the freezer."

He lets me think he's going to let me take over but he shakes his head and pulls the ice cream out of my hand with a big grin. "I can do that for you. You should be resting, go on, sit down, I'll get everything put away and sorted. Why don't you start with the pizza?" he says.

I select a movie from the ones he brought over and set it up before I settle myself down on the couch and watch him mill around my small kitchen like he knew where everything was before he got here. It was like he had been here before, or like he belonged here. He comes back with glasses and plates and I open up the pizza box. A large meat lover's from my favourite place. He knew me oh so well.

As he sits down beside me, I note that he's still looking at the sweater. "Seriously though, is that my sweater? Did you keep my sweater?"

I look down to it and then back up to him. There's no point in lying now, he's definitely caught me red-sweatered. "It was the only thing I had left… I couldn't bare to let it go."

Seth half laughs. "I swear to god! I knew you had it this whole time. I knew it," he crows before laughing at the situation. "Nice to see that you've been treating it well."

He slings an arm over my shoulder and I snuggle into his side. I look up to him and find that he's no longer smiling. Instead he looks at me and I swear his heart is in his eyes and it looks broken.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you," he whispers before I can ask him what's wrong. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you. I'm sorry you had to do this by yourself. Why… why didn't you call me?"

I avoid his eyes. "I don't know… I guess… I didn't want to… bother you… and it was late… and…"

"I want you to call me," he tells me, his fingers resting along my jaw line so he'll look at me. "If you ever need me, literally for anything, at any time and I will be here. You are and never have been a bother to me, okay?"

I look into his eyes. I can tell he means it and it's everything I needed to hear right at the moment. I pull him to me, pull his lips down to mine and when he's nothing but a groaning unintelligible mess I decide that after the shitty fucking birthday I had yesterday, I deserve to live a little, to feel wanted… to feel loved.

So, I lead him to my bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

Pawnshops and Carousels

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Well this here is a really late update. Sorry about that, I've been busy preparing for a trip. Just a small one to go check on my friend in a different city. Took me a while to get around to editing this chapter. Anyway, we got some more cute coupley stuff. So don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next week.

Chapter 12

* * *

When Sabrina used to live with me, we'd start every morning with coffee. She'd be in her pjs and I'd be in my boxers, the morning news would be on the TV in our room, and we'd sit in the bed and drink our coffee together. Usually she'd be in my lap and one of my arms would be around her, holding her there. Sometimes we'd talk about the state of the world, other times we didn't talk at all. But it was a ritual of mine, so ingrained in me that it wasn't until I didn't have someone to do it with anymore that I noticed how much it was a part of my daily life.

So, when I wake up this morning and Sabrina is above me, coffee mug in hand, wearing my shirt like an off-one-shoulder dress, my heart sings. I sit up, pull her down into my lap and then we sit in silence drinking our coffee and watching the news.

I still keep waiting to wake up. This can't be real. It's some strange fever dream. Or I'm in a coma. Or I've died and gone to heaven. I press a kiss to her shoulder again and she lets out an airy giggle. My grip on her tightens. Dear god, if this is a dream, or I'm in a coma, please don't ever let me wake up.

My mug has been left on the nightstand by the bed, both my arms hold her, because I'm afraid to let go. Afraid that I might shatter the spell between us.

"Did I make your coffee wrong?" she asks and I shake my head.

"No, it's perfect," I whisper. Everything about this is perfect. I had missed this so much. I had missed _her_ so much.

"You've barely touched it."

I brush a tendril of her hair behind her ear and she half turns to smile at me, the redness of her face already fading into what will eventually be a very dark purple. My stomach clenches as I look at it. I need to stop being weird, she's going to notice. I need to man up before she realizes what's going on with me.

I clear my throat carefully before asking: "So… uh… what happened to not fucking on our first date?"

What the actual fuck is my problem? Why the hell did I just say that? Fuck on our first date? Firstly, we didn't fuck, we made love, secondly, I'm trying to not show her how weird I am, or scare her away. I've done both now.

I'm lucky because she just chuckles at me and narrows her eyes in a way that I know for certain is playful. "It wasn't really our first date."

Mmmm that was true. "Alright. Fair."

"What time do you work?" she asks hesitantly. She's probably worried about making me late but I couldn't give a shit about that right now.

"I don't. And neither do you… until Monday. I made sure."

"You can't fix my schedule like that Seth, the girls will get jealous."

"Let 'em get jealous. I call dibs on you all weekend."

"And if I had plans?"

"Do you have plans?" I ask.

"Well no…" "Then what's the problem?" "Nothing."

Ha, I won that one! Wonderful. She was all mine now, for the whole weekend. And Monday cause I fully plan on taking her to work with me. How soon could I ask her to move in with me without it being weird? I don't want to chase her away by moving too fast but seriously, if I thought I could propose to her right this second and she'd say yes, I'd do so in a heartbeat.

It hits me again. It's hit me several times since she had opened the door in a sweater I thought was as lost to me as she had been. But this is happening. I've got her back, she's in my arms. I have a chance to get everything I want, starting with getting Sabrina back. I suddenly grip her tightly, my forehead drops to her shoulder, I might break into happy tears and I'm shaking to hold them back.

"What's the matter?"

Oh god… she's noticed. Fuck me. "Nothing."

"Well something's going on, tell me."

God why couldn't she just believe my lies? Why? Was she the only one who could tell when I was lying? Why? I try to burry my face into her shoulder again but she won't let me. She gets up quickly, drops her mug of coffee beside mine and then she's straddling me to the bed.

Well this was a bad move. Now I wasn't going to let her ask me anymore questions. I move to kiss her, to start up what got me in her bed in the first place but she stops me.

"Use your words Seth."

I don't want to do this. I don't want to be weak and pathetic in front of her. But I also told myself that if I ever got her back I'd do everything I was supposed to do the first time and then some. Besides it was just me, her and Escobar, her black cat, so you know… maybe it's safe.

I look up into those beautiful green eyes and bare my heart to her. "I never thought I'd be here again. I never thought I'd… I thought you were lost to me… forever…"

Sabrina kisses me, light and sensually and I take her and pin her to the bed, ready to go right back to what got us here in the first place.

"I never thought I'd be here either," she whispers to me. "I never thought I'd get over it… but I very stupidly missed you."

"God Sabrina…"

"Sooner or later we'll have to talk about what happened," she whispers to me and my heart stops. "Sooner or later you have to tell me why you… why you cheated on me. For real. Not just blaming me."

She means later, of course. She means to have me tell her later, some later date but I want this out in the open, I wanted her to know what my stupidity had done. To both of us.

I brace myself over her and begin to tell her the real reason why.

"You want honesty? Fine. I was stupid. We had a stupid argument about the ring again. You said you didn't want to date me anymore, I said I was going to take back the proposal. You threw your promise ring at my face, I threw both our rings out in the garbage. And I was just so fucking mad at you… and I thought we were done… so I found the closest girl to me… and I mean in the vicinity and I picked her up, I brought her home, and I had the worst revenge sex of my life. I was stupid, and angry and just… god Reenie, I didn't even want her. I spent the whole time thinking of you, wanting her out of my place, wanting you to be there instead of her. And then you showed up and I just… God. I still dream about it you know, the look in your eyes when you realized what I had done."

Her fingers are tracing patterns into my collarbones, and she's focusing on that motion instead of looking at me.

"Why didn't you just say that to me?"

"Because you were mad, and I was ashamed. I blamed you for putting us in that position, but it was my fault. It was my fault, there were so many things I should have told you, things that might have changed everything. But then we were properly broken up and I was so angry and hurt that I…"

"Fucked every whore in Detroit."

"Essentially. But… I did try talking to you. And you… I just couldn't look at you when you were looking at me like that. It hurt. And then you just… I unno, you vanished and I was so upset about everything… my dad says I was inconsolable for a whole year, Ashley will confirm that I was miserable to deal with. And… honestly I have been for a very long time. It was like when you left my heart went with you and I've been a cold unfeeling bastard ever since."

She seems to think that over. "And say I trust you… to… I unno start something up again…"

"You'd want to? I mean… I didn't get to take you out, last night… I mean, don't get me wrong that was great but that was nothing compared to what I had planned."

"The fact that you came over with all my favourites just to cheer me up made it perfect," she says and I sigh. Damn Sabrina and her low expectations.

"The point is, Seth, what I need to know is if you'd do… it… again?"

"What? Cheat on you?"

"Mhmm"

"Of course not. You think I'm gonna fuck things up again? Reenie, I didn't think I was gonna get this far. I didn't think I'd ever see you again and when I did I was certain you were gonna be married. The fact that I'm here right now is a fucking miracle, it's an opportunity I'm not going to waste. You think I'm gonna let you go now you have another thing coming."

She giggles at me. "Funny… I was just thinking the same thing."

I swoop in to kiss her before my heart can swell up like a balloon and burst. I don't think I've ever been happier.

* * *

**Seth: Love is a tricky thing. Love can follow you through a lifetime. It can bind you up and never let you go. You can fall in and out of it. You can pretend it's not there but it has this uncanny ability to sneak up on you. It can make you the fool. But when you're in love. When they love you back. Being the fool doesn't matter anymore, because you'd do anything for them. And there isn't a single fucking thing I won't do for Sabrina, and it's clear as day that I'm as in love with Sabrina now as I was with her when I was young and foolish. And maybe that makes me twice the fool, but I'm in love and I don't care. **

* * *

I'm on the sales floor when Seth walks in with Sabrina right beside him. Well considering he left on Friday early and never came back and now he's over an hour late, I'm willing to bet that… something… happened.

Seth is smirking at me, regardless of the fact that he knows I'm going to lecture him about being late.

"How nice of you to join us," I say. Sabrina blushes to the very roots of her hair and Seth's smirk leaves his face.

"I'm sorry… I'll just go…"

"Yeah, you go, I'll be there in a minute," he says, his hand on her lower back urging her towards the back. He smiles at her as she goes, she shoots not one, not two, but three coy glances over her shoulder at Seth before she disappears.

I know for sure that something's happened. And I think it's about to change our lives.

"What's got you so happy?" I ask him. "Dad's livid."

"I'll deal with dad."

"Can't help but notice you came in with Sabrina, is this her walk of shame or yours?"

Seth is scowling. "No shame. No walk. I simply drove her to work today."

"Okay, cut the crap. What's going on."

"It's none of your business," he says folding his arms over his chest.

"Seth!" "No." "We're going to find out eventually." "Fine. Fine. I got back together with Sabrina on Friday, we've been together all weekend. Now will you let me go to my office?"

He walks past me and while he says he's going to his office I know he's heading back to see Sabrina. I smile at his back. I'm happy that he got back together with Sabrina, it's been a long time coming.

"Did I hear him say that he got back together with Sabrina?" Rich asks coming to stand beside me. I nod and he frowns and shakes his head. "God, they're going to get sickeningly cute again aren't they."

Oh god I had forgotten about that. I had forgotten how disgustingly cute the two of them were, especially when they had first started out. Well shit. I didn't want to live that all over again but what was I going to do? Break them up again? Course not, it was worse when they weren't together. God what had we gotten ourselves into.


	13. Chapter 13

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! Here we are, the 13th chapter and we've got another cute little flashback! We're going to have a little bit of drama starting in the next few chapters and then things are gonna get HELLA cute! So there's a lot to look forward to. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 13

* * *

**Les: We, the family, didn't meet Sabrina until Seth was way past head-over-heels for her. He kept her a secret from us, was too embarrassed to bring her around the house. We knew that something was up, of course, he had been acting strange We all thought that he had joined a gang or started doing drugs. He was out all hours, he was on secretive hour-long phone calls, he'd never tells us who he was talking to or where he was going. I'd ask if he was seeing a girl and he'd say sure but he'd never really answer. So, you could imagine my surprise when all of a sudden this girl walks into the shop asking for Seth. The look on his face… you would have thought the world ended right then and there.**

* * *

"Hi."

"Hey babe…" he says softly and then goes back to the display case he's shining up. Then his head whips up in surprise. "REENIE!" Seth suddenly yelps. "Fuck. Babe you startled me… where… why are you… we're not supposed to meet for another hour…"

I had been watching this girl since she came into the store. I couldn't help it, because she looks nothing like our usual clientele. She also surveyed the whole store before making a bee-line to my son. I assumed that this must have been a classmate, or maybe a girl who was trying to impress him. She was a little too dressed up for the area she was in.

But finding out that my son did know her was a little surprising, because he had never mentioned a girl before. Though he seems surprised by her appearance,

"I know, but I was just so excited for tonight that well… I didn't want to wait. Besides I got a new dress, what do you think?"

She did a little twirl and a series of strange emotions cross over my son's face. It was a cute little floral summer dress, with puffy short sleeves and a hem that fell just below her knee. My son seems to appreciate it for all of two seconds before he notices me hovering and then his face goes an ashen white.

"Reenie, I told you not to come here," he hisses leaning over the counter. "I said I'd pick you up after work."

"Didn't you want to see me though…. Don't you like the dress?"

Seth looks at a loss and I feel for him so I come over immediately. "Hello there, young lady, did you bring something to pawn?"

She turns a bright smile to me and Seth looks horrified. "No. I'm Sabrina, I'm Seth's…"

"Dad I think someone needs help over there," he says interrupting the poor girl and pointing in a direction far away from them.

"Seth what's the matter?" the girl asks and I just stare at him because I want to know what's wrong too.

"Okay I just need him to… you know… go… and then me and you we'll talk this out…"

"Oh, is this one of the girls you've been seeing?" I ask. That sounded like my boy, stringing multiple girls along, this one must have gotten a little bit to attached.

Surprise is now on the girl's face. She turns to Seth who is wide eyed with horror and staring back her. As hurt colors her features he turns an outraged glare on me and growls out my name in warning but I only shrug.

"Girls?" she echoes.

"Oh sure, Seth's out with a new girl every other day."

"Every other day," she echoes turning her eyes to him. Seth shakes his head.

"No. Wait. Reenie… wait…" he starts but she backs away.

"Oh… uhm… I'm sorry…. I should… I mean I just remembered…"

"No, no Reenie, _Sabrina_," he's repeating, rushing down the counters to an exit point. "Wait, it's not what you think! He doesn't know! I haven't told him. Wait!"

But the girl has already made her way to the door. Seth practically sprints across the store to get to her. I follow after him watching out the door as he catches up to her in the parking lot, having to grab her by the shoulders and then crush her to his chest to keep her from leaving.

Now that was interesting. Here I was thinking that Seth didn't have a girl that he was settled on, but clearly that was wrong. And I uh… I might have fucked things up by telling her about his other girls.

I approach them silently in time to hear: "Then why does he think you're seeing other girls? Huh? You say you're always with me, you're only seeing me, then why does you dad think there's other girls, riddle me that?"

"Because I never told him about you, okay!"

"Oh and that's supposed to be better?" she cries.

"I just… I didn't… I don't…"

"Just let go of me Seth, I'm going home…"

"No, Reenie, it's a bad area, please. I know you're mad but just wait for me and I'll take you home and we can argue then! Please, I don't want anything to happen to you. I mean look at you, god, how did you get here in that without getting a million cat calls?"

"Don't you compliment me when I'm mad at you!" she snaps, pointing a finger into Seth's face. "You think I'm going to go back in there with your dad thinking I'm one of your floozies?"

"Okay, Seth, why don't you explain what's going on?" I ask him and he jumps like he hadn't expected me to be there.

"God Dad, not now!" he cries obviously past flustered.

"No. Go on, Seth. Tell him who I am," she orders.

"Sabrina… please…" "No, you say you care, you say I'm the only one, you go a head and tell him." "Sabrina." "Fine then I'm leaving."

She turns to storm away and Seth, in a blind panic, quickly grabs her arm. "No. No. No you're not," he snapped. "Fine, fine. Okay. Just… Dad, this is my girlfriend, Sabrina. She goes to my school, she's a year younger than me. I've been dating her for six months, it's our half-year anniversary tonight, which is nothing to you but it's something to us."

Okay. Now that I was not expecting. Dating sure. But fully fledged girlfriend? How had we not known that? However, this did explain all the late night calls, all the days he was late coming home from school and why he had agreed to work in the pawn shop part time when he had told me he didn't want to be a part of the pawn life. But why hadn't he told us about her? Was there something wrong with the girl? She looked normal, she looked sweet, so what's wrong with her?

"Why am I hearing about this now?" I ask. "It's nice to meet you, by the way. I'm just a little surprised."

"Me too," she admits offering me a hand to shake. Oh what a nice grip. She then turns back to Seth, who is holding her hand other hand tightly, his eyes softly caressing her face with an absent smile. "So why didn't you tell your parents about me?"

Well that got his attention again and he immediately lowers his eyes away from her and scowls. "Because I'm embarrassed," he growls.

She frowns again and whispers: "Of me?"

"No, of them!" he cries turning away from me just as I cry out an insulted _oi!_ "Sabrina, they're insane, okay? If I told them about you, they'd want to meet you and they'd try to embarrass me and Ashley's a fucking bitch and I want you to like me, and to keep on liking me. I like that you think I'm cool and if you met them, you'll know I'm not and I never said there were other girls. My dad… he just assumed and I never corrected him so he'd stop asking me questions about where I was going. So no, no there aren't other girls, you are the only girl I'm seeing, the only girl I want to see, and I didn't tell them about you because I didn't want them to want to meet you. Okay?"

She stares at him for a moment and then puts her hands on her hips. "That is the craziest fucking thing you've ever said to me," she says and Seth groans.

"Okay, yeah, fine, I'm crazy. That's fine. Just please… please don't break up with me."

My Seth was a proud boy, just like me. To hear him beg her to stay… that was the nail in the coffin. That was how I knew that this wasn't just a high school fling. Seth was serious about this girl, very, very serious clearly.

"I'm not going to break up with you," she whispers and Seth visibly relaxed.

"Oh, okay good. Can you come inside then? You can sit in the back until I'm good to go," he says pulling her away from me.

I let them leave early to go to their anniversary dinner and then as soon as they were gone, I called my wife. She was just ecstatic to hear about this supposed girlfriend and when Seth came home, not only was he ready to tell us all about her but he also agreed to bring her over for dinner sometime in the following week.

* * *

**Les: After that it was common for Sabrina to be either at our house or at the Pawn Shop. She loved to help out, she loved to spend time with us, but most of all she loved Seth. Things might have been rocky between her and Lilli originally but once Lilli realized just how much Seth liked that girl, just how much Sabrina liked him back, Lilli got over the whole _no one's good enough for my baby_ thing quickly. **

**When they broke up all those years later, we were devastated. Seth was going to marry that girl, she was supposed to be our daughter-in-law, and it had sort of felt like she already was. But we didn't have time to grieve her, not when Seth was a wreck over the break up. So, when Ashley banged into my office to hurriedly tell me that Seth and Sabrina were back together, the first phone call I made was to Lilli to share the good news. **

**Here's hoping Seth doesn't do something stupid again. Maybe now that he's working with me, I can watch him a bit better… no way I'm going to let him fuck this up a second time.**


	14. Chapter 14

Pawnshops and Carousels 

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello my wonderful Readers! So we're back again with another update. This one's short but sweet. And I mean literally, it's super cute. As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday. Also props to me for getting this up on time! Look at me getting my act together!_

Chapter 14

* * *

**Seth: A month of bliss. A month of us essentially living together, time sharing each other's apartments. We're not apart. Okay sometimes we are, but not really. She's either at my place or I'm at hers. And we spend a lot of time with my family because apparently my mom, my dad, and my sister are her family. God, she loves my nieces. And don't get me wrong, I do too but I want to spend all my time with Sabrina getting her comfortable enough to agree to move herself and her cat in with me.**

**Is that too much to ask?**

* * *

Dating Seth has had it perks. First and foremost, it's like I have a family again. The Gold's are always inviting us over for family dinner, I missed Ashley's kids growing up so now they're older and they don't remember their cool Aunt Sabrina who used to babysit for them when they were babies and always did the cool stuff with them that Ashley said wasn't allowed.

Secondly, I could essentially come and go from the pawn shop as I pleased, though Seth liked it if I worked the same hours as him.

Thirdly none of the staff argued with me ever. I asked them to do something and BAM it was done, no questions asked.

And don't get me wrong, I love that, but it wasn't necessary.

This afternoon, Seth and I had started craving burgers and since he was more important to the store, I had been sent out to go get them. Which meant I'm on my way back to the store with enough burgers to choke a horse, because if I was gonna get food for me and Seth of course I was gonna offer to pick up for everyone else that was working.

I had forgotten how much the guards could eat. They had to have ordered at least five burgers a piece.

But on my way back that's when I saw it. A giant billboard with Ashley's face on it with the words: "If you can make me quit, you'll get 20% off your purchase at American Jewelry and Loan."

_Goddamn it Seth!_

I knew that they were having an argument to see who had better marketing schemes but Ashley had put up an inflatable gorilla that said: "Monster Savings". She hadn't insulted Seth in any way so it made no sense why he had tried to up her with a billboard that personal. Why the hell had he taken this so far, she hadn't annoyed him that much… had she?

I get into the parking lot, and Joe is there immediately to help me bring the food in. This is very nice of him and normally I would have said thank you but I have other things to worry about right now.

I rush over to Ashley was on the sales floor as Joe takes all the burger to the back. "Hey, hey, hey!" I cry heading towards her. Ashley smiles and says _hi_ back to me. "Have you… have you had any weird customers today?"

"Yeah actually, a few," she says. "They all kept asking me to quit."

_GODDAMN IT SETH!_

"Okay… uh… don't go outside…" I say to her.

"What?"

"I'll fix it!" I call back and then rush into the back. Seth is looking through all the food we had ordered setting aside all the orders so people can just come pick up their food and not have to search for it. I can already see that he's set aside our stuff first, and while that's sweet, I'm mad at him. I cross to him and then smack him hard across the shoulder.

"HEY!" he cries. "What the hell, I got your stuff too!"

Oh yeah, like that was the problem! "You put up a billboard with Ashley…." "Oh you saw that huh, isn't it great?" "NO!"

Seth's smile fades off of his lips as I glare at him. "Seth that is your _sister_ why would you do that to your sister?"

"Aw come on, it's funny!"

"You think Ashley's going to find it funny?"

"Well probably not but that's the point…"

"Seth…" I groan and it was all I needed to do. He sighs, he looks flustered and upset, like Ashley was the one who put up a _get Seth to quit _billboard.

"I mean… I guess I can… I guess can take it down but…"

"Take what down?" Ashley asks having appeared beside us without any notice. _Aw fuck me_.

"Nothing!" I shout just as Seth cracks a large grin and says: "Wanna see?"

"NO!" I cry but it's too late, Seth is taking his father and sister to the roof to see the billboard. He climbs up first and then helps Ashley up, then his father and then me. I can see on his face that he's surprised that I came up too. But his grip on my hand is tight, and he doesn't let go until I'm as far away from that ladder as I can get. In fact, he doesn't let go at all, he just holds my hand. Which worries me because Ashley might think that we're in on it together and she's mean and I don't want her to be mad at me when this is all Seth's fault.

"OH MY GOD!" Ashley screams and I sigh, oh here we go. She whirls around on her brother and screams his name at him.

"Now that's how you run a marketing campaign," he says to her.

"He's going to take it down!" I say at the same time.

Ashley looks from me to her father. "Did you guys know about this?"

Les shakes his head while I wince. "Well I saw it when I was coming back from the burger run, but I didn't know about it before hand… I promise he didn't tell me about it."

Ashley scowls at Seth. "You're an asshole!"

"And he's going to take it down, aren't you?" I say to him and he turns that dazzling grin onto me. And I nearly melt. God what that boy did to me.

"You really want me to take it down that badly huh?" he asks me. I scowl at him and he smiles and scoffs a little at me. "Alright. Then let's bargain for it."

I sigh, I'm past aggravated, and of course I would be. Seth's negotiation skills have evolved and now that he's not distracted by being in awe that we got back together he's been whooping my butt at the whole negotiating thing again. And let me tell you I had not missed that.

But I don't miss the fact that he might have done all of this because he wants something specific from me and I have got to say this is a weird way to go about getting something from me. But I'm also worried that he's going to bargain sexual favours from me in front of his family.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Oh god, what do you want?"

He's smiling again. "That's not how it works, you tell me what you're willing to trade and I tell you what I'm willing to go up to."

"You know exactly what I'm going to say it's the same as last night's negotiation and all the others."

Blow jobs. Seth fucking lives for blow jobs. And it's always my very first bargaining chips, because if I whisper it in his ear, all light and husky like that sometimes… most of the time… he forgets to actually negotiate with me.

"Okay… counter offer…" God if he says blow jobs every day for the next week in front of his father, he's gonna get slapped. "Move in with me."

Behind me Ashley gasps with excitement. Les has just made a soft sound, like a cry of excitement that he tried swallowed down. I am staring at Seth with wide eyes.

"Uh… what?"

"You heard me. You want me to take that billboard down, move in with me."

Firstly, I'm shocked that he wants me to move in, cause I thought we were taking things slow. Secondly, we're already kind of living together cause we've been bouncing between staying at my place or his for the last three weeks. Thirdly… why couldn't he fucking ask me like a normal person?

"Counter offer. Ask me like a normal fucking person and I'll agree, but I won't actually move in with you until that billboard is down. And Escobar is non-negotiable."

"I happen to love Escobar, and he's the reason I'm asking," Seth says, which I know isn't true because Escobar hates Seth and keeps peeing on his things if they're left on the floor. "Sabrina, will you move in with me."

I jump at him kissing him solidly on the lips. "Of course I will… once the billboard is removed."

His grin is a mile long and I love it as much as I love him. "I'll call them as soon as we get inside."

"Oh, good cause I'm cold and I'm hungry," I tell him and then skip off. Loving that he's following me, and asking me to let him go down first so he can spot me and make sure I won't fall. Like he'd be able to catch me, of course he'd try but I'd just flatten him.

We're on the right track, Seth and I. I don't even mind that it's going a bit too fast. We have so much time to make up for that I feel that it's just the right pace for us.


	15. Chapter 15

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Are you guys ready for the drama? Cause I am... and it's here! Trust me, after this little bit of drama things are gonna get really cute up in here, just wait a few chapters and see. As always, don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 15

* * *

"I just wanted to tell you that Les has the back running the way it used to… you know before the meeting we had this morning."

Rich then shuts the door and disappears as if he didn't just start WW-A Million in this store. Seth leans back in his chair, his fingers tapping away and I stop writing down the message on his note pad. This note is not a phone message but a saucy little note I'm leaving about what I'm going to do to him once we get home… our home… at his apartment… together… god I love saying that… to put a hand to his shoulder.

"What was that about?" Ashley asks.

I already know what it's about. Seth, who was tired of the back fucking up, gave each guy in the warehouse a section to look after. One for laptops, one for TVs, one for furs, and so on and so forth. We had talked about it, last night and I thought it was great, especially since I had finished reorganizing the whole warehouse by item and number, and had put placards up with the information in each row so they knew what number started what row and what it finished on.

Once Seth finishes explaining that to Ashley she calmly asks: "Well what do _you_ want?"

Oh god, why would she ask it like that? "I want him out of my way!" he cries, which isn't true, he just wants to be taken seriously by his father, he's just upset right now so that's what he's saying.

"Seth! Stop crying about this to me and go handle it with dad!" she snaps and I immediately put pressure on Seth's shoulder so he looks up to me.

"Or… you know… maybe… we go for a walk, and think of a calm and collected way to approach this… so we don't start a huge argument!" I offer but Seth's narrowed eyes at me tell me that that is not how this is going to go down.

"No! She's right. I can run AJL better than him he just needs to step out of my way," he snarls, slamming his fists against the desk and standing up. I let him leave because… well… you know… there's no stopping him now. I sit in his vacated seat and glare at Ashley.

"You did that on purpose. You know Les isn't going to like it, they're just going to argue…"

"Exactly and if I'm lucky I'll get the store back," she says with a smirk on her face and then I'm alone in the office hoping to god that we both don't get fired.

* * *

**Ashley: The tension is high between my dad and brother. They haven't talked for over a week. They got in a fight and it was like a full out war in my dad's office. But I tricked my dad into coming with me, and Sabrina cried until Seth followed her and together, we got them to talk. But it backfired on all of us, because my dad threw the keys at him… literally and stepped aside and let Seth run things. **

** Les: It's only been one day and he's crashing and burning. The only saving grace is the fact that Sabrina has more than stepped up to cover while he's in the office hiding. She's smoothed out arguments, figured out where things should go, and has directed the staff. All while Seth's hidden. The computers went down and without Sabrina to talk for him, things wouldn't have gotten done. In fact, the only thing Ashley and Seth did was argue with one another. I shouldn't be leaving my store to my children, I should be leaving things to Sabrina.**

**Seth: Yesterday was the worst day of my life. I was run ragged. The only thing that made me happy was I went home with Sabrina, she popped open a beer, we cuddled on the couch, we had phenomenal sex, and Escobar only peed on one shirt instead of all of them. All in all, it was a good night, but now, I'm fucking screwed. I don't know how I could have forgotten the bank holiday. How did I let this slip? If my dad finds out, he's going to loose his mind. He gave me the keys to the castle and I just fucked up!**

* * *

_The question is now, how much do you think we need?_

That's what my baby had asked me and now, two hours after that, right after we had essentially almost run out of money my baby had showed up with a wad of cash.

"Okay, so… uh… I've got about… uh… five grand here… it's all I can afford to give you…" she says offering me the money. I'm so touched that she went and did this that I swear, I'm about to cry. "Will that help? I mean… I know it's not enough but will it help?"

I can't take her money, I'm desperate, but I know I can't take her money. "Babe… this is great… it's just…"

"Don't say you can't take it. You can. And you can pay me back tomorrow, when the banks open. I know you're good for it," she says again thrusting the money at me. "I know what this means to you, I know what it'll mean if Les finds out… so please, just take it."

I take it with shaking hands. It isn't enough but it's just enough for right now. I come around my desk and pull her to me. I hug her tightly because in this chaos, she's the only one who's trying to help me.

Ashley had been of no help what so ever, I couldn't ask my dad, all I had was Sabrina.

"Thank you, baby, thank you so much," he whispers to her.

"It's okay babe… but uh… just so you know… your dad already knows," she says to him and his heart sunk in his chest.

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean, he knows, I'm sorry. I don't know who told him…"

"Fucking Ashley."

"Ashley? How did she know?" she asks. "Did you tell her?"

He nods and she groans for him. "Oh baby, come on, why would you tell her? She's never on your side!"

I pull myself out of her grasp and take her money out to the floor to distribute. Problem is, there's already money in the tills.

"Who… where?"

"Your dad," is all my cashier's can say and now I'm in his office.

"Where the hell did you get money?" I thunder.

My dad just makes me sit down. With a smug smirk he says: "You couldn't do it on your own, could you? You need my help now."

Well, no, I couldn't do it, but I had Sabrina behind me, and she got me part of the money. I did not need my dad's money. Okay I do, but I don't want to say that. But I have to.

"I can admit it. I need your help. I fucked up bad. I had a solution…" "You had Sabrina empty her bank account for you." "Okay, I didn't have her… she offered… I didn't ask her to…." "You thought you knew it all but you have a long way to go before you can sit in this chair, remember that."

I nod, because it's true, this experience has proven that to me. "Now can you give Sabrina back her money. I have enough for us to run through the day."

As if to prove it to me he pulls out a small lock box and shows me all the stacks he has in there. Great we're set. But I still feel like shit. At least I can tell Sabrina she can have her cash back… though how she got five grand out of her bank on a bank holiday is beyond me. She must have driven around town getting the max out of different ATMs until she had all her money out.

I also want to yell at Ashley. For selling me out. Again. And I think I'm about to get my chance as she lets herself into our dad's office.

"You need to come out here now. Sabrina and her Ex are in the middle of a showdown on the showroom floor," she tells us and I'm already out of my seat. Her ex hit her once, I'm not about to let it happen again.

* * *

Eric came in saying he needed to pawn something, supposedly, and caught me coming back from a break. I went to go get Seth a coffee and a doughnut to calm him down, with the last few dollars in my account.

The second he sees me, he stops talking to Bobby-J and immediately gets in my way.

"You fucking bitch!" flies out of him so fast my head is spinning. He looks livid but I can tell by his eyes that he's on something and that's not good. His anger and strength are always magnified when he's on something.

"You were told to stay away from me Eric," I remind him, seriously what was the point of this restraining order if he wasn't going to follow it. "Leave now, or I'll call the cops."

"You took ALL my money!" he shouts and for a second I'm confused until I realize that he must somehow be accessing my bank account. I did loose a ATM card a while ago but I haven't seen any strange withdrawals recently.

"Have you been using my account to get high?" I ask him. "Cause that is not _your_ money!"

He reached out for me. "You left me. You took everything. You won't even return my calls. everyone says you got some new guy, but we both know that this new guy ain't got nothing on me and you know it. You love me, you love me and you're going to come home, and you're going to give me what you owe me for putting me through all this."

Oh my god he's insane. "No, Eric. I'm not coming home. I love him and I'm done with you," I tell him and that's when the gun comes out. There's a mad dash of scrambling, people running, people screaming, and in the din I swear I hear Seth calling my name, which makes it worse, cause I know him, and I know what he'll do if he thinks I'm in danger.

But before I can do anything Eric has grabbed me, he's got the gun to my head and he's telling everyone to get the fuck away and let us leave.

All I can see is Seth's face. The fear in his eyes, the way his jaw is pulsing in that way he does when he's grinding his teeth in anger or worry, and his whole body is taunt and ready to go. I want to tell him not to do anything stupid, but I know I won't be able to, because Eric has a vice grip on me, which means he has a direct line to hurting the one person I care more about than myself and I'm not going to let Seth get hurt for me.


	16. Chapter 16

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: So here's yet another late update! I'm really bad at telling what day of the week it is! Anyway, we have a short little chapter, you're not left on a cliffhanger like the last time. But we have a very, very, very, cute couple of chapters coming up after this. So don't forget to review and I'll see you guys on Sunday (I swear this time)_

Chapter 16

* * *

**Seth: My heart is in my mouth. I think I'm going to vomit because this guy has a gun to my girl's head and I'm realizing that there's just no living without Sabrina. I did not go through all of this to not end up with Sabrina. You hear me?**

* * *

He's managed to back all the way out of the goddamn building and into the parking lot with Sabrina in his arms, that gun resting just beneath her chin, bumping into it every now and then. Despite everyone trying to stop me I have my hands out and I'm slowly inching towards this guy cause he's not leaving here with Sabrina. I'm not going to let it happen.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" he's shouting. "She was mine before you came around. MINE! You think you're gonna take her from me? I want my money… my… everything back! You can't have her anymore, you can't!"

No. lies. She's mine. And I'll fight him for her.

"If you fucking hurt her, even leave a fucking mark on her, I'm gonna destroy you. But if you kill her, you better fucking but a bullet in me too cause if you don't, I'm going to hunt you down. You hear me I'll hunt you the fuck down and I will make you suffer."

And now the guns on me. I flinch. I can't help it. My dad swears, and Ashely yelps but none of that can keep me still. I'm still moving forward, slowly but I'm still going. "You're the fucking prick she left me for? You? You fucking dopey eared mother fucker?" he screams.

I don't care cause, the gun's off Sabrina and that's all that matters. "Yeah. Yeah I am, you asshole, so why don't you come over here and do something about it?"

He says nothing to me but I can see it his eyes, the moment he decides he's going to shoot me. But I can also see the moment Sabrina decides she's not going let that happen, its right there in her eyes.

She grabs the arm before he can stop her and then they're wrestling for it. Already I'm rushing towards her, despite both my sister and my father screaming my name. I have one plan, one move and that's to tackle this asshole away from her and pound into him until he can't fucking move.

The problem is, the second I'm in the air, the gun goes off.

* * *

**Les: Holy shit. _Holy shit_! Sabrina's abusive ex came in and dragged her out the store. He's got a gun and he's threatening to kill her if we don't back off, and what does Seth do? He charges the guy! Now they're all on the ground and no one's moving. **

**Ashely: We all heard the gun go off, but no one knows if someone got shot. They're all just lying there and I'm honestly afraid my brother just got killed in front of our store… in front of our eyes. **

* * *

My ears are ringing, my body is in pain. I take a quick stock of my pieces. I don't think I've been shot. But there is something wet under me, there's an arm slung over my body and groaning coming from the other side of me.

_Seth_.

Seth had tackled Eric, Seth had tried to save me. Had I gotten Seth shot?

I groan out his name, trying to turn to see him, to make sure he is okay. Already someone is above me, sirens are ringing in my ears, or maybe my ears are just ringing, people are screaming and shouting. But I hear something important, a person saying my name, a familiar grip tightening around my shoulders and shaking me.

"God, Sabrina, Sabrina say something, oh god, the blood. No. No, don't do this. Sabrina, Sabrina please!"

Seth is fine. Seth is holding me. I haven't been shot, though he thinks I have been, so that means that he hasn't been shot either, that leaves only one person it could be.

I don't even care, I literally just thought that Eric was going to kill Seth, that he was going to kill me. My hands reach out for him, my tears are flowing down my cheeks, I just want him to hold me. I want to hold onto some sort of anchor to reality, and right now that's him.

I'm so out of it I don't even realize that Seth has scooped me up and whisked me away until I'm surrounded by the silent hush of his office. When I'm wrapped up into his arms, the both of us shaking so hard we might come apart.

He's covering me in kisses, breathing out words of relief against my skin. My nails dig into his sides, my eyes search his face.

"I thought he was going to…. I thought he was…"

"I wouldn't have let him hurt you, I wouldn't have. You're okay now. You're okay."

"I thought he was going to shoot you."

Seth stares at me. "Is that what you…? Reenie… he had a gun to _your_ head and you're worried about me?"

I don't want to argue with him though. So I dip my head to his chest and cry: "Just don't leave me alone, okay? Please?"

Seth's arms wrap around me once more, holding me in a tight embrace.

"I won't, as soon as we're done with the cops, we're going home, okay? I'll take you home." he whispers and I just hold him tighter.

He clings to me too, I feel him take in shaky breaths and then exhale them onto my skin.

"I was so scared," he whispers to me and I can fully return that sentiment.

"Do you think… do you think they'll charge me?"

"What for an accidental misfire?" Seth asks. "I doubt it. And even if they do, I'll be right there to bail you out."

I half laugh and suddenly become aware of the cold wetness against my back. I realize I'm covered in blood and I'm suddenly desperate to get it off. Seth helps me, using my ruined shirt to wipe the rest of it off of my back and then giving me one of his own to wear.

Just the fact that I'm wearing his shirt, still warm from his own body, reeking of his scent and his cologne, calms me almost immediately.

Ashley knocks on the door and lets herself in. "The cops are here, they're in dad's office, you know, when you're ready."

"Is he… uh…"

"No, he's alive. Flesh wound. Got shot in the bicep, bled a lot but they think that's the drugs he's on," she says. "You should've heard him bitching like a little baby."

She's trying to make this funny, but it's not. Seth has a hand to my now clean back and is ushering me out the door, we're separated for all of two seconds as he receives a hug from his sister who whispers that she's happy he's not hurt, and then together, with his arm around me, we go to face the cops.


	17. Chapter 17

Pawnshops and Carousels 

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hey there everyone. We've got the next chapter here, and it's also super cute. and then we have super cool happening next chapter too. So don't forget to review, and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 17

* * *

**Les: Even after a shooting in our parking lot we're still open. Nothing can shut American Jewellery and Loan down! Seth and Sabrina are off, of course, I wouldn't expect anything else. Had they tried to come to work I would have sent them home. Sabrina is not going to jail, but her crazy Ex Eric is. They ruled the shooting an accident, that the fight for the weapon had been unintentional and an act of desperation. He'll be going away for a very long time but both of them will be expected to testify at Eric's court hearing at some point. Seth wouldn't be leaving Sabrina alone for a long while after this, all of us could tell. That boy is going to hover over her until the day she dies. Here's hoping she doesn't get sick of him and dump him for smothering her. **

* * *

When I wake up, I have Seth's arms so tightly wrapped around me and, I swear, I'm surprised I'm still breathing. I shift in his grasp and he nose nuzzles into my neck. Okay, so he's at least partially conscious.

"Babe?" I whisper and get a bit of a groan from him. I jostle my shoulder and whisper his name a little louder.

"You okay?" comes back at me, even though his eyes haven't opened, and I smile.

"You're choking me," I whisper and his grip immediately loosens but he doesn't let go.

"Sorry babe," he says to me as he rolls onto his back. I roll over so I can drape myself over his chest. He hasn't let me go since the incident and I don't even care. I'm just glad we're both alive, I'm not getting arrested and that Seth is still here.

I press a kiss to the bared skin of his chest and then smile as a smile widens on his lips. "Mmmm, you know I like that," he says to me which is all the convincing I need to press another. I have a hand wandering down his side, heading for his hip, with the intent to cross over once I get to the pelvic region but he has a hold of that hand before I can get there and then he's rolling over again to pin me under him, to kiss my lips solidly, to ravish me fully.

My hands rest against his jaw, hold his face softly and it hits me again. Yesterday could have had such a different ending. It could have been me who had been shot, or worse, him.

What would I have done if Eric had shot him? How guilty would I have felt? What if Eric had killed him? How would I have lived?

Before I know it, despite his inviting and warm kisses, I've started crying, shakingly so.

At first he doesn't quite realize it, but the second he does we've stopped kissing and now his hands are cradling my face.

"Baby… no… baby, what's wrong?" he asks. Those blue eyes stare down into my eyes, filled with such deep concern and I can't bear to even look at him. I cover my face with my hands, but Seth isn't about to let me cover my face so he pulls them away.

"I keep thinking about… he could have… he could…" I hiccup and he kisses me softly to quiet me.

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you," he whispers but that is not my problem.

"No. I don't care about that. He could have killed you, Seth. _He could have killed you_."

Seth takes that in, his eyes blinking at me like he doesn't understand what I've said. "Reenie…" he starts off using his _I'm being patient with your stupidity_ voice. "Reenie… that's not the… he had a fucking gun to _your_ head you're worried about me? Seriously?"

"You tackled a guy with a loaded gun to my head," I shoot back. "Yeah I was fucking worried about you."

I sit up pushing him off of me and reach for one of his discarded shirts. I pull it over me so he can't be distracted by my bare breasts, which do distract him quite often.

"Okay… not to be mean… but I'm not the one that makes stupid decisions all the time," he says as he watches me get out of our bed to head for the kitchen. He follows me for our morning ritual of coffee, cuddles and news.

"Excuse me, what does that mean?" I ask.

"It means what you think it means. You make more stupid decisions than me. Prime example. The fact that you got into a serious relationship with that junkie asshole."

"Okay, now wait a second, when I met him. he was super nice and up until I broke up with him he had never hit me before… he just threatened to… or punched walls," I answer primly and Seth scoffs at me.

"Oh yeah, what a great choice you made there Reenie," he sighs like I just proved his point.

"Oh yeah? What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Yes you. You and your _make Ashley quit_ marketing campaign, how did that work for you?"

"It got you to move in didn't it?" he asks.

"Seth, you could have asked me to move in like a normal boyfriend and I would have said yes, the billboard was unnecessary and you didn't do it to get me to move in with you, you did it hurt your sister. The moving in thing was a bonus and you know it!" I snap and he laughs.

"Oh yeah, fine, you wanna play hard ball, what about that carousel?"

"I love that carousel! What about you and your inability to keep your dick in your pants. None of this would have happened if you had just stayed faithful."

And there that is, those words are now hanging like a cloud between us. Not only have I made him feel bad but I've managed to make it sound like I blame him for everything, and that my getting beat up by my ex was his fault. Which was not what we were going for.

We're no longer playfully arguing anymore either, that is clear as day. He looks hurt and upset and he won't look at me anymore. I open to my mouth to apologize because I've clearly gone too far but he beats me to it.

"I never would have cheated on you if you hadn't thrown the ring back at me, Reenie," he says in a soft voice.

"I'm not the one who threw our promise rings in the garbage."

"Because you told me you didn't want to be engaged anymore."

"Not before you ended our relationship!"

"I was obviously bluffing!"

"Were you though? You were so mad about that stupid engagement ring, going on about how I was playing at being high and mighty when you knew it wasn't about the money!"

"Really? It wasn't about the money? A ring from my dad's shop which would have been more affordable for us wasn't good enough, but a 20-thousand-dollar ring from Tiffany's would have been?"

"No! I didn't want that ring! I picked out a five thousand dollar one, remember, just as affordable as the three and half thousand one you got from your dad's shop!" I cry. "And _no_! It was not about the money. I wanted our marriage to begin all fresh and new and not with a ring someone had sell or pawn because someone had divorced them or died or they fell on hard times. I wanted a ring that was mine and only mine, I didn't want it carrying bad memories."

"Oh," he says. Yeah. Just _oh_. The bastard. "I guess I never thought of it…"

"No you didn't. It's like the second I asked for something _I_ wanted, something special just for me you lost your damn mind. Like I wasn't worth it to you. Like the money was more important… like that was all I cared about... like that was all _you_ cared about."

"Is that what you think?" he asks me and I nod. He takes that in with a deep sigh and then says: "Okay, I'm going to take you somewhere… we're going to settle this once and for all… today."

* * *

**Seth: I'm going to do it. I said I wasn't going to save it for a different time, a better time, but I'm going to. I'm going to take her to my office and show her what I did all those years ago. I'm going to tell her what I should have told her when I saw her in that cafeteria a week after we officially broke up. I'm scared and I'm nervous. But we're going to AJL and I'm going to prove to her that I loved her then, I love her now and I was always love her for forever.**

* * *

I hold her hand tightly in mine as I lead her towards my back office. I ignore Ashley's jab about how I had called in sick and looked perfectly fine. I then shove Sabrina into the room and shut the door behind us.

I lock the door for good measure. Once I let go of her hand, I leave her by my desk and I walk over to the safe. Kneeling down in front of it I finally began to tell the tale.

"So many years ago, what feels like eons ago, my baby wanted a ring."

I can almost feel her smirk on her lips, but I don't turn around. "My baby wanted a ring, and it couldn't come out of my dad's store. So I took my baby to a ring store, and she saw this ring, this huge massive rock and she tried to tell me that she didn't want it, that she wanted this little chip of a diamond that was more in our price range, but I knew, I knew she deserved more then that. So, I didn't buy the ring my girl wanted, and we argued and we argued and then… you know… I did something stupid."

"You cheated on her," she whispers and I pause. Yeah that was exactly what I did. I pull open the safe door and pick up the ring box I hid in the back.

"Yeah. I did. But what my baby didn't know was that… when we broke up. I was only one down payment away from giving her what she wanted."

I stand up, I stand up to stare at her, and I find that staring into those beautiful, misting, blinking green eyes takes my breath away.

"Seth… Seth what are you talking about?"

"This," I tell her, showing her the light blue ring box in my hands. "You see… I had this whole vision. I was gonna get down on one knee," I say actually getting down on one knee in front of her, causing her to take a step away from me in surprise her hands flying to her face to cover her mouth. "And I was gonna show her that I can still surprise her… and I was gonna watch her eyes light up when she saw that I got the ring she really wanted."

I flip open the ring box to the Marquise cut diamond set in a rose gold band with emeralds around it sitting inside. Sabrina gasps, her hand flies to her mouth as she just looks at it. And the way her eyes light up, it's exactly the way I thought they would.

"Just like that," I breathe out. "Then… then I was gonna propose to her and marry her and live happily ever after… except… you know… I kind of messed that up."

For a while we're silent. She stands in front of me staring at the ring and I find, though I should probably stand, I don't.

"Are you… are you proposing… right now?"

I think about it for a second. I mean, am I? I could be. I figure now isn't the time to lie, or cater to my ego, so I tell her the truth.

"I mean, if I thought I could get away with it, yeah… I would. In a heartbeat, but I know we're a long way away from that…"

Sabrina blinks her eyes. She stares at me and then down to the ring again. When she turns her eyes back to mine, she's wearing an unreadable expression. "Propose then."

For a second my heart stops. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You said you would if you thought I'd say yes, so go ahead. Propose."

I laugh at her from where I'm kneeling. "Don't say shit like that Reenie, just… just don't. Cause I actually will propose and when you say no it's gonna kill me."

"But what if I say yes?"

"Say yes…" I echo. "You'd… you'd marry…?"

"If you asked like a normal person…. So, hurry up and ask."

I don't want to do it here, in my office at work. I want to give her something romantic and wonderful, you know the proposal she deserved. But I also know that if I don't ask her now, she could easily change her mind and then I'd have to wait months, maybe years, to try and do this again.

It was a no brainer.

"Sabrina DeRose, will you marry me?"

She has the ring snatched out of the box before I can even finish asking and I don't even care cause she's squealing: "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," while she jumps up and down.

I get up off my knees and pull her into my arms. She's crying happy tears as she kisses me over and over. My heart hurts, it's swelling with happiness, I'm afraid it's going to burst. I tip my forehead to rest it against her trying to contain my excitement.

I kiss her deeply, crushing her to me. It may have taken seven years but I've finally fixed this, I'm finally going to end up with the girl I belong with. Though, I'm a little worried that she only agreed to get the ring. I plan to ask her but she beats me to it.

"You ready for another proposal?" she asks against my lips.

"Uh… maybe, depends what it is?"

"Me. You. Vegas. Let's get married. Tonight. Or tomorrow morning. I don't care but let's do it ASAP."

_REALLY_?!

Okay… if she's serious… this isn't about the ring at all. This is wresting back that happily ever after his stupidity robbed from them. Holy shit. This was a fucking dream come true. It was another no brainer.

"I'll book the tickets," I whisper and she smiles again.

This is happening. I'm finally going to marry Sabrina De Rose.


	18. Chapter 18

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: And here's another update. That is on time for once! and in this one we have a cute little wedding. I hope you guys enjoy it too! Don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 18

* * *

We landed in Vegas and went straight to our hotel. I booked us the Prima Suite at the Venetian. There we detoxed and relaxed, or at least, Sabrina did, as she was still slightly traumatized by the previous day's events, while I did research. Once she had napped out her stress we got into the car and went to the Marriage Bureau. While we waited in line, we used our phones to check the options of the wedding chapels near-by. Sabrina had her heart set on the Graceland Wedding Chapel and I didn't have the heart to tell her no.

I got our form and as I filled out everything Sabrina got on the phone and made the latest appointment we could make which was at 10:30pm that night. She picked the Traditional package for 300 dollars. We then stood in another line for another hour to file the form, pay and sign it.

With our marriage licence obtained, we reluctantly went our separate ways. Each to buy what we needed to for the wedding.

She went and picked her dress, picked out matching shoes, and other accessories and set up her hair and make up appointments. I didn't have to do as much, except pick up my tux and my shoes and then I was good to go.

We had a late lunch together and then she went to get her hair and make up done while I got a chance to relax and nap before the big event. When she got back her blonde hair was done up half in an elegant twist and half down in amazingly wavy curls. Her make up was simple and done in neutrals and light pinks. I wanted to see her dress but she was adamant that she would change at the chapel. Firstly, because she wanted it to be a surprise and secondly, because the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride in her dress before the wedding.

I wanted to remind her that we were literally eloping and I didn't think that rule applied, but we were also eloping and I knew she had always wanted that traditional wedding. So if this little extra thing made her feel better about how we were getting married I was going to let her have it.

But she helped me get into my suit, helped me with my hair even though I didn't need it. She smiled when she noticed I had taken my earrings out, cause I knew we would be taking pictures and she hated those things on me, even if she didn't complain about them anymore. And then we were in the cab heading for the chapel.

That's where I am now. Waiting in a chapel for my bride to arrive. An officiant is standing beside me looking down at the papers.

"Just you two huh?" he asks again and I can only nod at him. "Don't be nervous kid."

I am nervous, though. Of course, I am. What if she's changed her mind? That could happen right? At any point in time.

"I'm not nervous," I say instead and then the music starts up and that's it. I was on the edge of nervous before now I've jumped off the cliff. I'm straight up nervous now. Because the music means Sabrina is coming. But when I see her in that stunning short sleeved lace topped white dress that falls just below her knees my heart soars into my mouth.

Granted I always thought she'd be walked down the aisle on Les' arm, as he said he would when Sabrina's father died, and not Elvis, but this was still my dream.

She walks towards me with a smile on her face and then she's handed off to me for the wedding. This is it. We're going to get married. It is quick and simple. We exchange our vows, we say _I do_, we sign the paper and that's it. Until…

"Do you guys have the rings?"

And here's surprise number a million in this day of surprises. Sabrina has no idea that I actually have our rings, rings I also saved in that safe along with her engagement ring. She shakes her head, opens her mouth to say we were going to pick them later, she had even agreed to pick a wedding ring from my dad's shop, but I have something even better then that.

"Actually yes," I say digging into my blazer pocket for them. I hand her the one she is to put on my finger and I clutch onto hers. I then watch as she looked at them, and smile as she realizes what she's holding.

"When did you… are these?"

"Our promise rings? Course. You didn't think I really threw them out, did you?" I ask with a smile and all of a sudden, she's laughing and crying all over again.

I take her hand and slide the wedding band on the finger with her engagement ring and then she takes my hand and slides my ring onto my finger. I kiss her again and hold her tightly as we head back down the aisle.

That's it. We're officially married.

* * *

Instead of going back to the hotel for a more intimate kind of celebration, Seth took us out for a lovely dinner. He has a limo waiting for us when we get out and then he takes me to the Aria for a candle light romantic dinner for two out on a private patio.

I keep replaying our hastily written vows in my head.

_I promise, for as long as I live and breathe, that I will love you, stand by you, take care of you and always laugh at your terrible jokes. _

_Reenie, from that very first kiss, I knew that you were going to be my forever. My life has no future if you're not in it and if you let me I will do everything I can to be the best husband, partner and friend you could have. I love you babe._

It wasn't much but it was ours and that made it so much more special. I look down to the engagement ring and the promise ring I thought I lost. The rose gold filigree encrusted band that matched Seth's large thicker silver one, had been thrown at him once in a fit of anger. I thought he had thrown them out, he had said they had thrown them out, but here they are. I have never been so happy to see a piece of jewelry in my life and Seth had literally pulled an engagement ring he purchased before we broke up out of nowhere.

"I still can't believe it," I say to him again. "It doesn't feel real."

"No… it doesn't… but you're happy… aren't you?" he asks. He looks so worried, like the excitement and adrenaline had worn off and now I would start regretting this hastily made decision.

"Of course I am Seth, I mean… look at us," I say looking around at the patio he had booked for us. He really has gone all out for this. "We're in Vegas on this wonderfully romantic patio, we have an unnecessarily large hotel room and we're finally… _finally_ married. You look so handsome in your tux…"

"And that dress is breathtaking," he whispers. "Damn near took my breath away, it was a lovely surprise. Worth the wait."

That was all well and good, but what if he was asking if she was happy because he wasn't?

"Are you happy too, Seth?"

"I just married the girl who got away… the girl of my dreams," he tells me as he takes my hand and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles. "Of course, I'm happy, I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life."

He looks at me with unshed tears in his eyes and I feel my own eyes go a little misty. I clear my throat, look back down to the rings on my finger and the one around his.

"How are we going to tell your parents?"

That was the hard part of eloping… we hadn't told anyone. The Golds were going to be livid when they found out.

"You know… I think… I think we should put that off for as long as possible," he whispers. "Cause they will flat out tell us to set up a quote-unquote real wedding so…"

"They're going to be so mad at us…"

"You let me worry about that baby," he says taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. "Right now there's only one thing you have to worry about."

I blink my eyes and frown at him. "And what's that?"

He waves to someone and a familiar set of chords hit my ears and I'm laughing. He stands up, buttoning up his blazer jacket again, he takes that hand he's still holding and pulls me up to my feet.

"Do you still remember how to dance?"

_My Girl_, by the Temptations has been our song since high school. After our fifth date where he asked me to be his girlfriend, he listened to that song on repeat for three days. He hummed it, whistled it and sung it on loop until it got stuck in my head too. It was the song playing as our first slow dance at the spring formal, it was the song playing when we first made love, and it was the song we had always said would be our first dance at our wedding so it's more than fitting to have it playing right now.

As Seth sweeps me across a candle lit patio with our song playing around us, I know that our future will be bright and wonderful and full of happiness, because we were finally and properly bound and bonded together.

* * *

**Ashley: Seth and Sabrina left AJL that afternoon way to excited for them to just be about a vacation. He didn't talk to me or dad when they were there, he simply called me on the way to the airport and asked me to check in on Sabrina's cat Escobar while they were gone. **

**They were on their way out of town for a weekender in Vegas.**

**And you know, at first, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But then I didn't hear from them for the whole three days they were there. Which is weird. Seth loves taking pictures of things. It was strange he hadn't sent a bunch of sickeningly cute pictures of him and Sabrina doing touristy stuff just to annoy us. And then they came back all smiley and giggly and I just knew that something had happened. The only thing I could think of was that they eloped, because that's what people did in Vegas. They got drunk, they gambled and they sometimes got married. But there was no way that Seth would get married and not tell us. Right? But if he had… oh… I was going to have fun riling my parents up about that.**


	19. Chapter 19

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Well what we have here is a cute little chapter but it's a short one. Hopefully you guys enjoy it. As always, don't forget to leave a review, I'd love to hear how you guys are enjoying the story and then I'll see you guys next week._

Chapter 19

* * *

It was universally understood that my father had forgiven me for whatever argument we were having after I almost got shot. There was no real talk about it, where he said those words in that order, but it was basically a given. Sabrina had a gun held to her head, both of us could have gotten shot, I was forgiven.

He gave me the time off as a sign of peace and because he really couldn't say no, plus I was only gone three days. Not enough for a honeymoon, if you ask me, but Sabrina didn't mind and neither did I.

It's been a week since we got back and no one's figured it out yet. I'm pretty sure that Ashley is onto us though, just by the way she glares at Sabrina and me, and the questions she asks about our trip. She's surprised we don't have more pictures and that's a valid point, but most of our pictures are wedding pictures and we haven't told them yet. Therefore we can't show them pictures

So, I am both half surprised and not surprised when my dad calls me into the office. And I'm not surprised to see Ashley in there with him.

"What's going on?"

"Something with you and Sabrina apparently," Les says. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"I unno, did I tell you guys we got engaged?"

"ENGAGED?!" erupts out of my father so loud and so fast it almost knocks me over. "You two got ENGAGED?!"

"Yes, before we left. I had her engagement ring in the safe in my office, that's why we were here. I swore I told you…"

"Wait… so going to Vegas was…"

"To get a few days away," I tell Ashley as sternly as I can. "I just happened to propose before we left, that's all. Sorry if it slipped my mind, but we had a lot going on the day we left, if you guys remember."

My father is already pulling the phone to him, no doubt to call my mom. "No problem, we're going to have party. Engagement party. Tonight. No Tomorrow. No tonight. Let me call Lilli and we'll figure out."

"I can't believe you proposed and didn't tell us."

Yeah Ashley's surprised and judging by the look on her face she's pretty pissed too. But this is better than them figuring out that we actually got married. But hey, if we have this engagement dinner my parents are now planning, that would be a good time to tell them. Maybe set up a camera to capture their response when we do. I bet it will make for a hilarious picture.

* * *

**Sabrina: Seth comes out of his dad's office and immediately pulls me into his and locks the door. The conversation is short, but it sums up to his father and sister figuring out that there was something off and him admitting that he proposed to me and I accepted. He has a plan to announce that we're married at whatever engagement party his parents throw for us and I'm sort of okay with that, except it might kill Les with the shock. But I'm distracted pretty quickly. You see, the conversation is short because we can't keep our hands off one another and as soon as Seth kisses me, I forget all about being worried about announcing our elopement and loose myself in his arms. **

* * *

The following day I'm out on the floor with Ashley. She was a little miffed with me yesterday and chose to give me the silent treatment for the rest of the day. All because she felt that I should have told her about the engagement. She was going to shit bricks when she found out that me and Seth were actually married.

Les and Lilli had called us last night to tell us that this weekend we were to attend an engagement party that they would be throwing at their house. They were going to invite everyone we had ever known and there they we would be expected to tell everyone how Seth proposed, why they needed to go to Vegas to celebrate without telling the family what had transpired and when our wedding would be.

Seth is super excited for this party, he can't wait to drop this bombshell on his family and his friends. I on the other hand am very nervous about it, I don't like the idea of this trick being how I re-enter the Gold family.

Ashley has decided she's talking to me today so we stand beside one another on the floor, mostly dealing with customers, and sometimes talking to on another. I'm not supposed to be dealing with customers, Seth wants me safe in the back, but it gets boring answering phones all day.

"So… show me this ring," Ashley suddenly asks.

I'm startled by the sudden question, but it's a question that every girl who just got an engagement ring is prepared for. I show her my hand, and the sparkly ring residing there. Ashley takes my hand to look at it, even going as far as to pull her Jeweller's Loupe out to take a look at it.

"Damn girl, it's a real diamond, chill!" I say to her, hopefully in a teasing manner.

"It's nice, I'm guessing you picked it out, not him. My brother's taste is questionable."

"Uh… yeah I did, like a long time ago… back when we were first together…" I go to pull my hand away but Ashley's grip on me tightens.

"Uh… excuse me, but what… is that!"

I look down to my hand and my heart stops. Our promise rings, the rings that were now our wedding bands, the ring that sits right under my engagement ring.

"He uh… he saved our promise rings," I tell her.

"But why are you wearing it on that hand?" It's a valid question and unfortunately, I don't have an answer for her. I have not prepared a lie for this. Ashley's face drops in shock. "Oh My God… this is a… this is a wedding band isn't it!"

"Ashley come on…"

She cuts me off almost immediately. "No, no, I remember, you and Seth picked out matching promise rings, but instead of him buying a diamond you asked for a band so that you could use it as a wedding band. I remember cause he bitched for months about how he wanted to buy you a proper ring, but he felt like you were trying to double dip and now he had to buy you two rings!"

"Aw come on, you really think that we'd get married without the family!"

But it's the look on her face that tells me she does think that and I've just proved it. Seth must have sensed my distress because he's suddenly beside me on the other side of the glass showcase.

"What the hell are you squawking about over here, you're not giving her a hard time are?" he asks his eyes narrowed clearly not trusting his sister to be nice to me or me to be able to take care of myself. Though I do love that he's so adamant on being my white knight in shining armour.

"You two got married in Vegas!" Ashley practically shouts at him and Seth turns unimpressed eyes onto me.

"You told her?!"

"OH MY GOD!" Ashley shrieks causing both of us to wince.

"No, she guessed but I hadn't admitted it yet," I tell him as Ashley continues to freak out and Seth sighs. I'm very glad that its him who's let the cat out of the bag and not me.

"I knew it! _I knew it!_" she crows and then her mouth drops into a happy smile of shock. She's silent for two seconds before she moves past me and shouts: "DAD!" on the top of her lungs.

As soon as she's gone, I turn to him and say: "We should have just told them in the first place."

Seth sighs, takes my hand and then presses a kiss to the palm. "Brace for it."

And even though we were both braced, neither of us were really truly prepared for what was coming at us.


	20. Chapter 20

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers. And here we have a big announcement. It's a bit of a shorter chapter but it's super, super, super cute. Hopefully you guys like this one. As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 20

* * *

Despite the family discovering they were married _before_ the party, the engagement party still went on. And Seth got to tell all their friends that _surprise_ we were really married already as they had eloped and gotten married in Vegas.

At that party we put up a huge projector and showed them the video that the Graceland Wedding Chapel had taken of our brief wedding, we showed them pictures and answered all the questions they had. And then it was announced that we would be having a real ceremony in a real church very soon that everyone in attendance would be invited to.

Something Les and Lilli decided was absolutely necessary, and announced to the group, without telling us they were going to do so.

So that was another expenditure we needed to worry about and save for.

But if it would make the Gold's happy, I was happy to oblige… originally. I've spent the last month and a half since the engagement party wedding planning, and by wedding planning I mean arguing Lilli out of everything tacky and super expensive that she wanted to do.

She wanted me in a giant, tule, cupcake like princess dress for my wedding dress, because my first one was nice but now I needed a proper one. I don't look good in cupcake like dresses, I wanted something more slim fitting, but Lilli kept hinting that I was too cubby for one of those, which you know… was super rude and very hurtful.

She also wanted ice sculptures and dozens upon dozens of pink roses to match the lacy doily and pastel pink Little-Bo-Peep theme she seemed to want. She wanted balloon arches and string quartets, and giant candle sticks as party favours. She wanted the cake to at least be five tiers, anything under that and well… why bother?

The problem was, Seth and I didn't want that. We wanted a small intimate wedding. We wanted red black and gold to be our colors, we wanted ivy and candle light for romantic slow dances. We wanted a normal sized cake and Italian food, served on plates with normal sized servings not buffet styled. We wanted _our_ wedding, not some fantasy that Lilli thought was cute.

But every time I voiced my opinion Lilli got upset, claimed I didn't like her taste or her and that I didn't want her involved. Which was not true at all, I just didn't want her to be so over-bearing about it. But are arguments lately were ending in screaming and tears on both ends and I didn't want that. This was supposed to all culminate in a happy day. At this rate it was going to tear apart our family.

I was starting to look forward to being in the office dealing with Ashley and Seth's arguing rather then spending days on end shopping for things I didn't want or need for a wedding I was wishing wasn't going to happen anymore.

Seth and I were married already and it was perfect. I don't want to do it again just to please the Golds. Okay that's not true, I do, but I don't want to be guilted into a wedding I can't afford and completely hate just because we eloped.

That morning I'm not feeling well. Seth wakes up and I'm already hunched over the toilet vomiting. He's by my side only after he goes to the kitchen to get me water. He puts a glass in my hand and crouches down beside me.

"You okay?" he asks after I wipe my mouth on the cold towel he's damped and offers me. I nod. This is the third day I've woken up needing to puke. The first day it happened I was in bed all day I was so sick. We all assumed it was food poisoning, probably from one of the many cakes Lilli and I had tried the day before.

But Lilli hadn't been sick so we figured it was a singled-out reaction, from eating so much cake in one day. I think it's all the chocolate, for some reason they didn't taste as good as I thought they would. I had never not liked chocolate before though.

"Still fighting the food poisoning? Maybe you have a stomach bug," he offers. "You should stay at home."

I look up at him with my watery eyes and almost smile at him. "Are you sure, will you be okay?"

"Of course. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll miss you, I'd obviously rather have you there, and my day's gonna be dark and cloudy with out you to light it up for me. But baby… you've been sick for three days and I'm starting to get worried."

I put my hands out and he immediately grabs them and pulls me up. Once I'm up I wrap my arms around his neck but don't go to kiss him, though he does press a kiss to my temple as he holds me tight back.

"If you don't feel better after today, I'm gonna take you to a doctor, I don't care what you say."

I nestle myself into his chest, just wanting to keep him close simply because he makes me feel better. I almost ask him to stay home with me, I know he will if I ask, but that's not fair. He's needed at the Pawnshop and he shouldn't have to suffer just because I'm not feeling well.

"Are you going to be okay if I go to work?" he asks me and I love that he's picked up on my own silent desires. I smile my thanks up to him but eventually tell him that I'll be fine.

Still Seth ends up going into work late, only to stay back to make sure that I'm in bed resting and I've got soup simmering on the stove top for me. He tells me to call him if I need anything, anything at all, and he doesn't care what's going on he'll stop what he'd doing to come to me.

It's nice to have that though I figure a day off cuddling with Escobar is just what I need to kick this illness. But I'm only in the bed for a couple of minutes before I start contemplating my symptoms. I've been sick for three days, I've also been really moody, with weird cravings. For some reason the chocolate cakes, which have always been my favourite, didn't taste good. And probably the weirdest new change is I suddenly hate Seth's cologne, and I've always loved his cologne. Granted he's been very nice and not wearing it but it's so bad that if I catch a whiff of it on clothes while I'm doing laundry I'll gag.

In my head I immediately start counting and I don't like the number I get.

I force myself out of bed, turn off the stove and go for my purse and my boots. I put a light coat on over my PJ top and immediately head out to the corner store down the block. I don't care if I look like a disaster, I need to get myself a pregnancy test to figure out if that's what's wrong with me… or if it's something else.

Either way I'm nervous and I kinda wish that I had asked Seth to stay home.

* * *

**Sabrina: It only takes me ten minutes to buy that pregnancy test and all the junk food I'm craving and then get it back to out apartment. It doesn't take me long to need to pee, my bladder's been super small these days, but the thirty minutes of waiting just to see what it says is what gets me. I worry about the outcome, still not sure which outcome I want. And I don't know how I'm going to tell Seth if it comes out positive. I find myself crying, first in worry and then happiness at the result. Luckily by the end of the thirty minutes I had figured out which outcome I wanted and just how I was going to tell Seth about my new found feelings.**

* * *

_I'm calling off the wedding._

That was the text. That was it. That was all I got. I finished closing a deal that Ashley couldn't. Finished yelling at her over why I felt the need to interfere in another one of her deals and then checked my phone and got that fucking bomb.

I call Sabrina immediately to get some sort of explanation but she doesn't answer. I send her a text back asking her to explain but she ignores that too. So, I call again, still no answer.

I don't tell my dad what she said to me, but I do tell him that I'm worried about her and I'm going home for the rest of the day. Dad says nothing, he's obviously not pleased but lets me go.

On the whole drive home I'm panicking. I can't think of a reason why she would just… call off the wedding. I know she's been arguing with my mother a lot about the wedding but that isn't a reason to call it off, is it? Rationally I assume she's just frustrated with my mother again. Irrationally I wonder if she's so mad with my family that she's going to call off our wedding-redo and leave me as well.

I take the steps up to our apartment three at a time. We're on the fourth floor but I'm too antsy to wait for the elevator.

I burst into our apartment startling Sabrina who was merely sitting on the couch, she's in my giant UofM sweater that she loves so much and she has tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. "What happened, why are you upset? Did you and my mom argue again? Whatever it is we can fix it, I'll fix it. I'll talk to my mom again if I have to just please, please, please don't cry and please don't leave me. Now tell me what's wrong."

I've given her no chance to actually answer any of questions I've asked but she sniffs and wipes her eyes with the sweater's sleeve. Normally I'd be pissed but I'd let her use that sweater as a tissue at this point if it made her happy, hell if it kept her with me I'd let her use it as toilet paper.

"I'm not trying to leave you, and I didn't argue with your mom either."

_Then what the fuck, Sabrina!_ I wanted to yell that at her but I didn't. Instead I reach out and grab her shoulders just so I could feel her and say: "Then you better have a damn good reason for calling off this wedding cause you know my parents will be pissed."

She sniffs again and just stares at me and I find myself rambling again. "Obviously I'm going to stand by the decision. We don't need another wedding cause we're already married but they're gonna fight us on this so tell me what's going on and we'll find a way to tell my parents together."

She still doesn't say anything, instead she pulls something out of the sweater pocket and hands it to me. I take it without a second thought, this little wand like thing, knowing exactly what it is but not knowing why she would give me one. I look over the pregnancy test with the little plus sign in the result window and my heart and mind stop working all at once.

"Is that… is this…" "Uh-huh…" "This is a pregnancy test… it's… it's…" "Uh-huh…" "We're going to have a baby?"

"Uh-huh"

I turn my shocked eyes up to her and realize that she's grinning. She's not crying cause she's upset, she's crying out of happiness. She's pregnant, we're going to have a baby.

"I figure we'd rather save for a baby than a wedding," she says and I swoop in immediately to kiss her. Of course I'd rather save for a baby than a wedding and there's no way my parents can argue with that logic either.

I kiss her over and over, her hands framing my face so she can kiss me properly. I have one arm around her and the other to the currently flat belly where my baby now resides. I can't help but shed a few manly tears myself because I'm once again shocked breathless by the sheer luck of it all.

There was a time in my life that I never once thought I'd ever manage to win Sabrina back, but not only was she my wife, she was going to have my baby too. I'm literally the luckiest man on the planet and there is nothing that can bring me down.


	21. Chapter 21

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: So here we go, another Sunday another chapter. This one is a little shorter than usual but it's cute too so that will make up for it. As always don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 21

* * *

I'm panicking about money.

I can't help it. It's not just that the Pontiac store is hemorrhaging cash, but I have a baby on the way. Babies cost money, a lot of money and it's not that I'm not making decent money, but that I want to be making more.

I want to give my future child, and Reenie and Escobar an amazing life. Full of big houses and nice cars and all the things they could want and ask for. I want my family to be pampered is that too much to ask?

My plan for the Pontiac store is to sell it. The problem is I know my dad wouldn't be on board. I figure if I line up a buyer, and show him how much we could save by selling it, he'll get on board. So, I've already made a few calls to see what we can get.

I've already got a few bites and man named Rob coming to the store for a meeting today. I've blown off one of Reenie's many OBYGN appointments for the pregnancy and I mean, I would have rather been there than here, but this is important.

So, I'm not happy when my dad says that he wants me to take the cash that Pontiac needs to keep running down to the store, something that my dad had said he was going to do. But there's no arguing with him, though I do try to pass it off to someone else, so I have no choice but to go. And that means I'm going to miss that meeting with Rob and I can't chance dad finding out about it.

Now, normally I wouldn't worry. I would just go to Reenie, tell her what was going on and she'd have my back no problem. Just like Ashley, she'd call me stupid and tell me that this was a bad idea, but she'd still cover for me. But Reenie, isn't here, so that means that I have only one person to trust… and that's Ashley. And she is both not on board with this idea, and never has my back as is.

I go out to the floor, and find her, ready to beg her if I have to, and that's saying a lot.

"What's up?" she says when she realizes that I'm looking for her.

"Hey Ash, I'm heading over to the Pontiac store, dad just told me that I gotta take the money, originally he was supposed to and he's sending me now," I try to explain but Ashley's already in a bad mood and she's interrupts me with a dry: "Okay?" and a glare that says that she doesn't know why I'm telling her all this.

"Uh, I'm supposed to meet with a potential buyer for the Pontiac store today… here," I tell her and her eyebrows shoot up her skull. Well I know how well she's going to take this request, and the answer is not well at all. "I'm not going to be here, so what I need you to do is… I need you to kind of intercept him when he comes in…"

"Me?" she interrupts again and I sigh. It's so hard to bite back the witty retort I want to throw at her, but I'm asking her a favour so I do.

"Yeah." "You need me to cover for you?"

I rub a hand through my hair because I don't know how plainer I can be with the appeal and it sort of feels like she's doing this on purpose.

"Look I don't have a choice," I repeat. "He's just sending me up there right now, and there's nothing I can do."

"Are you sure this isn't because Sabrina's at the doctor and you were supposed to go with her."

"The whole reason I'm missing that appointment is to meet this guy. So yeah, I'll probably stop off to pick up Reenie from the doctor, but that doesn't change the fact that this guy is coming here to see me and I won't be here, so I need you to help me out here Ashely."

"Me," she says again and I decide that I'm done with her craziness.

"Okay, so the guy's name is Rob, and I have no idea what he looks like."

Ashley's mouth drops open in utter shock. Both at the fact that I had the nerve to ask her, and the fact that I only know a name and not what the guy looks like. Even I know I'm asking too much but obviously I'm desperate.

"Seth, anybody could be this guy!"

"I understand that," I say talking over the last two words of her sentence. "But I don't have a choice."

"Okay… so like… what? You've already talked to this guy and he's coming in and you're not even going to be here? What do you want me to do?"

God why does she have to do this to me? I obviously know what's going on here and what I'm asking her to do, now she's just being stupid to piss me off.

"I told you, I just told you!" I cry and then force myself to calm down. "Ash, please, just help me out I'm in a bind."

"I don't want to be a part of this."

"That doesn't matter! This is what you have to do!"

And Ashley caves. She makes a big show out of agreeing, huffing and rolling her eyes and acting insulted but I trust her when she says that she'll stall the guy for me and keep him away from dad.

I shoot her a sarcastic: "Thank you, Ash," over my shoulder as I pull out my phone. The drive up to Pontiac takes me out of the way but it also means that I can pick up Reenie from the appointment and get a play-by play on what the doctor said about the health and growth of our baby.

I shoot her a text telling her to wait and I'll pick her up and I try not to smile to myself. I feel like everything is starting to look up.

* * *

**Les: So, this guy walks up, says he's here to talk to Seth about buying the Pontiac store from us. And that is news to me, because I did not authorize that. I had no idea about that. I had just been blind sided by that. Was I rude to this guy, when I ripped up all his financial info, hell yeah! But I couldn't help it, I was livid. But I also had a plan. Time to put it in action and catch a traitorous rat in the act.**

* * *

After picking up Sabrina the two of us went for lunch which was Sushi as she was craving the rice. She was not allowed to eat actual sushi as it isn't wasn't good for the baby in her belly, but luckily all she wanted was rice and vegetable tempura. After that I tried dropping her off at home to rest but she was adamant on coming to work.

When I got back, I asked Ash if she had seen Rob, and she hadn't. That was weird because he wasn't picking up his phone all of a sudden either. I would have been more worried but I had a second buyer email me while I was out. He wanted to meet me at the Pontiac store to discuss everything. Well, with Rob going radio silent, I figured, why not?

I convince Ashley to come with me, Sabrina is coming regardless. On the way there, I'm forced to stop for In-and-Out burgers, fries and a shake, because Reenie is hungry again. My beautiful wife actually manages to devour the burger and fries and by the time we get to the store she's working on demolishing the shake. There I cross to Ashley who drove her own car here and together we all walk into the Pontiac store expecting to meet with whoever this second buyer is.

I don't expect to see my dad.

"Oh, Hey Les!" Sabrina cries rushing to hug him. "I didn't know you were gonna be here, I would have brought you a shake, want some of mine?"

She immediately offers him some of her milkshake, the suck up and my dad takes it. He smiles patiently at her before saying: "Thanks, Reenie, just so you know, I'm not mad at you, so all of this… doesn't include you, okay?"

Sabrina nods infinitely more interested in her milkshake now that he's offering it back to her and Les turns his eyes back onto to Ashley and Me.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" he shouts at us. Well, at least Sabrina's milkshake distraction lasted like… sixty seconds. And it was great that he made sure both of us knew he wasn't yelling at her, cause my dad can yell at me, but he can't yell at Reenie.

Both Ashley and I don't say anything though which leaves room for my dad to keep talking.

"Did you not think that I know everything that's going on in my business?" he asked them, his tone much lower. "Calling someone to buy this out from under me…"

"I thought I was doing what was best for the business," I try to say with a level tone. I'm trying not to make things worse. I know my dad is mad but I was just trying to help, why can't he see that I have to go behind his back for a reason?

"Don't tell me what's best for the business!" he growls, his voice raising but he's not quite yelling yet. "I will tell you, both…"

"Don't yell at me, I told him not to do this!" Ashley interrupts and suddenly Sabrina is paying attention again.

"Mm, I can attest to that," Sabrina says. "Ashley wanted nothing to do with this, and I didn't know until we got in the car and to be honest, I was so distracted by In-and-Out that I wasn't really listening. These cravings are a bitch."

My dad pats her back sympathetically while I just glare at her. "Reenie, what the fuck?"

Immediately her eyes are on me and she's crying. It isn't just the craving that are a bitch the hormones aren't too fun to deal with either.

"I know for a fact that Ashley's going to argue with you about the blame so I'm coming ahead of that before it can get any worse," she snaps. "And it wouldn't be that hard to just speak to your father in a calm rational manner, just tell him your fears and your worries and I'm sure we can figure something out!"

But I don't want to do that and neither does Les. "How DARE you try to do this to your father!" he shouts. "I _can't_ believe you did this to me!"

"What don't you understand? You're bleeding our brand. Isn't that what it's all about? American Jewelry. If you keep this place, we're gonna lose money. It doesn't take a genius to understand that. Your Empire that you built in Detroit is going shit over here. Cut your losses before it takes you down."

Beside my father Reenie sighs. "That is not what I meant at all."

"I can't even look at you," Les says and turns away from me. And that's fine cause I can't look at him either.

"Fine, I'm out of here," I cry going for the door. As I go to storm out and here a hesitant cry of: "Wait… are you leaving me here too?"

For fuck sake. I turn around and reach out for Sabrina. "Of course not, you're supposed to storm out with me," I say to her and she immediately perks up.

She crosses to me and takes my hand and already I feel a little better. She turns back to my father and Ashley with a playful glare on her face. "You haven't heard the last of us!" she cries.

She's obviously joking and despite the seriousness of the situation I find myself trying to hold back laughter, and as I leave my fuming family behind, I heard the start of their own amused snorts.

Okay… maybe this isn't so bad, I can come back from this. I haven't ruined things for the family, I've just made things a little awkward. But with Sabrina beside me, I figure it doesn't really quite matter.

* * *

**Ashley: My dad ignores all our calls that night and the following morning. He's late to work, and when he does come in he won't talk to both me and my brother. He'll talk to Sabrina, but neither of us, which I think is completely unfair! I didn't want to be a part of this, Seth made me, but he won't let me explain. He won't let either of us talk to him, so… what are we supposed to do? Send messages through Sabrina? That wasn't practical. This was all Seth's fault and he better fucking fix it.**

* * *

I keep knocking on my dad's door but he won't answer to me. When I do force the door open to try and talk to him, I find that he and Reenie are sitting together at his desk eating In-and-Out burgers. Does it sting that he's talking to my wife and not me? Of course it does. Am I gonna cry like a little bitch over it? Hell no. I might mist up, not gonna lie, but I'm super stressed right now and that's the only reason why.

I try to distract myself with the store, running it, negotiating prices and dealing with customers. Which is how I got into the middle of a giant fight between two women out on the floor. Joe and I managed to get the one causing the biggest stink out of the door, but when the second woman got outside the first was still waiting.

My security team struggled to get them apart but eventually that first woman, the one causing all the issues, got into her silver minivan to leave. But as she did, her passenger, this 5'6 massive woman that she was calling her daughter, ducked into her purse.

There were all these shouts of _gun_ and other such things and I turn to duck, but there, right beside Sabrina who I thought I left inside, was my dad and neither of them were moving. I'm in motion immediately, I have one hand to my dad's arm and the other to Sabrina's and I'm pushing the both away, struggling to shield them both.

I was lucky that time, it was a false alarm, there were no shots fired, I'm not even sure if she actually had a gun. But even after that kind of scare I have to hold Sabrina to me for at least ten minutes before my heart beat calms down.

After that my dad wants to talk to me. It's a quick heart to heart about how family means everything to him and I proved that I held that value too. I was officially forgiven, but I knew he wouldn't trust me business wise for a while. It would take me a while to get out from under the Pontiac situation but at least he was talking to me again.


	22. Chapter 22

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello there my wonderful readers! So we have another chapter upon us, this one has a little drama from the episodes, but the first part leading up to the drama was meant to be funny, so hopefully you guys enjoy it. As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 22

* * *

It had been six months of craving and hormonal mood swings and I'm dying. I feel terribly bad for Seth who has been putting up with a rollercoaster of emotions and has yet to complain when I wake him up in the middle of the night for some outrageous request, whether it be for some sort of craving or for sex. I feel bad for my feet which are always hurting and I'm suspecting are hella swollen, even though Seth assures me they are not. The morning sickness is gone, thank the lord, and I only have three months left. I just want this baby out of me already.

We decided early on that we didn't want to know the sex, wanted it to be a surprise. Sometimes I wish I knew, just because I liked knowing, but Seth wants it to be a surprise so I'm letting him have it. It's the least I could do considering how beastly I've been.

Today we're at the store, he's got his usual shift, I should be sitting at my desk but I missed him and wanted to see him so I'm over by the sports counter. Seth is smiling at me in that way that makes my knees weak, and I'm almost about to ask if he wants to go to his office cause the hormones plus that smile of his and the way that tight fitting black dress shirt looks on him is making me horny again, when we're interrupted by a client.

The man apologises for interrupting us which I wave away because it's silly to think that the client wouldn't come first. He introduces himself as Scott and then shows us what he got.

"I've got a 1970 Detroit Tiger's autographed baseball," Scott says and I can just by the way that Seth is handling it that he's excited for this.

"How did you get it?"

"It was my grandfather's," Scott says and that's about when I tune out.

That is… until out of nowhere, Ashley has pushed in between Seth and I and inserted herself into the negotiation. Suddenly I'm interested, because I know this is going to end in a fight. Since my getting pregnant Seth has been going off on his sister. Granted it's because he's getting very little sleep and Ashley's been perpetually rude to the customers and lowballing them, which Seth believes is driving away potential sales, but I don't want World War Three going on in this store… again. Not when it took forever to get over the Pontiac situation.

I know why she's doing this too, because Seth has been jumping into all her deals, she figured she'd get into one of his for a change.

She asks Scott all the same questions that Seth has already asked, with Seth intermittedly attempting to ask her what she was doing, and telling her that he got this, until he lost it and finally said: "What do you know about baseballs Ashley?"

She ignores the jab and keeps her eyes on Scott who is looking about as confused and horrified as I am. "How much did he offer you so far?"

"We haven't got to a number yet," he says carefully. "But uh… who am I negotiating with here?"

"Me," they say together and then turn a glare onto one another.

I want to step in, but I don't know how to un-de-rail this train wreck, I don't think even my wonderful customer service could save this one. And I know if I get in the middle and Ashley says something to me that Seth doesn't like his overprotective instincts, which are in overdrive right now, will take over and cause an even bigger situation.

"How about 250?" Ashley offers and Scott is insulted, even Seth looks a little annoyed.

As Scott goes on about how that amount won't help him get anywhere near his trip destination, Ashley picks up the ball to look at it, and Seth asks her, again, what she knows about balls, or that ball in particular. When Ashley ignores him again, he turns back to Scott to offer him, 500 which is not a number he wants to hear either.

"No, it's gotta be higher," Scott says.

"Well, I said 250," Ashely repeats and I want to groan, oh god, this… this was not going to end well. I can see Scott looking back and forth between the two siblings and then to me, and honestly, I'm shook. I don't know what to do and I swear it's the pregnancy brain.

Seth turns onto Ashley and starts asking her, over and over, if she knows anyone who signed the ball, if she knew anything about the ball at all and then the two of them are full blown arguing and poor Scott is just standing there lost.

I push them both aside as they literally devolve into screaming behind me. "I'm so sorry sir," I say, I attempt to tug the ball out of Ashley's grasp but she swats my hands away. "I'm so sorry…" I say again trying to be heard over their screams. "If you just give me a moment…"

But he's about as done as I am. "I want my ball back!" he tells me, and I try to tell him that I'm trying but when he sees that not even I can get it, he reaches over the counter for it, which gets Ashley's attention and that's never something someone wants.

"Wait a second!" Ashley hollers and my mouth drops in shock.

I turn back to the customer hoping to smooth this over though I don't think I'll be able to. "I'm so sorry, it's not usually like this," I say. "Just give me a minute, we have another guy, he knows all about baseballs he can help you."

I turn to see if I can find him Denis but Scott doesn't want my niceness, he just wants his ball. "No, no thank you, I want my ball back."

Behind them a horn starts to blare and that distracts them for all of two seconds, long enough for me to get the ball. It doesn't hold their attention for much longer though because they turn back to start arguing. I hand Scott back his ball.

"I'm really sorry, truly I am," I say to him.

"I thought you guys were professionals and tactful…" "—we usually are!" "…But clearly not. Thank you for trying ma'am but it's better if I left and took my business elsewhere as they've wasted my time!"

The siblings continue to bicker, until Les, who has stopped with the horn, comes out of the back and shouts at them and then they're quiet.

"What the hell is the matter with you two? Don't you remember the first rule? Never argue in front of the customers!"

"She was the one…" Seth starts but Les silences him.

"I don't want to hear it! Both of you, my office, now!"

Les is mad, really mad, and both of the siblings refuse to argue with him. Not even I do. We all just walk behind him, the two siblings are still screaming at one another. I'm walking beside Seth a hand to his arm, whispering words of calm to him, but it's not working. When we get into the office, even after the door has been shut behind, even all that work trying to calm Seth down, both Seth and Ashley are still screaming and pointing and going red in the face. Not even my hands on him are calming him down, and I've never failed to calm him down before.

Les walks back to his desk and the screaming reaches a fever pitch when he suddenly erupts with a: "_Shut up! Shut up! Shut the fuck up for a change!"_

The siblings finally go quiet, it finally stops and they just stare at their father, the man who rarely raised his voice at them… well… in an angry way.

"I have never been so embarrassed of my children then I just was on the showroom floor!" he shouts. "The thing that I always preach, no arguing on the floor. I don't allow my employees to do it and for sure my son and daughter should not be doing it in front of our employees!"

"I'm so sorry. I tried to calm him down…" I say again, almost near tears and Les turns to me as if surprised to see me there.

"Sabrina, what are you doing in here? I'm not mad at you, you weren't the one pitching that fit outside."

I perk up immediately. "Oh, so I'm not in trouble?"

"Course not…"

"Oh of course she's not, the perfect little princess is never in trouble! Perfect Sabrina can do no wrong!"

"HEY! Don't talk about my wife like that!" Seth shouts and then the two are arguing again. Both Les and I are just in shock, Les because they've devolved into arguing again, and me because I never thought that Ashley had a problem with me.

"She gets away with everything Seth! Dad just lets her do whatever she wants!"

"Reenie is actually good at her job! Unlike you!" he shouts at her.

"Enough!" Les thunders but Seth isn't done.

"SEND HER HOME!" he orders, pointing at Ashley, but I know Les isn't going to do that.

"Both of you go home!" Les screams and I pause, I was not expecting that at all. "Right this minute! Don't you say another word. Let me help you, get your asses out of my store."

He stalks over to his door and wrenches it open. "You guys go home and think about it, I do not want to see you until tomorrow. Leave! Now!"

"Good Job Seth!" Ashley snarls and Les growls at her.

"Stop it Ashley! Enough!"

The two siblings leave the office to get their things, a slump in my proud husband's shoulders tells me how he feels about this and I wince.

"Uh Les?" I ask and he turns to me and snaps _What_ a lot more aggressively than he usually does, but I know it's the stress of the situation that has him snapping at me. Plus I can see the apology in his eyes right after. "I uh… I came here with Seth today… if he's going home…"

"Yes you can go with him," Les answers, his tone softer.

"You sure? I can stay if you need me, make Seth pick me up," I offer but he shakes his head.

"No, it's alright, you can go home with him," he said. I squeal and hug him immediately.

"Okay, I'll talk to him, I promise," I say and he smiles at me as he hugs me back.

I rush off, or well, waddle off to join Seth. He's obviously very upset and even as we're heading out the door both Ashley and Seth are still arguing, it takes me wedging myself in between them to get them to stop.

* * *

**Seth: This is absolutely ridiculous. I spent the whole night fuming, not even Sabrina could calm me down, and she tried. But by morning, though I was still upset with Ashley I wanted to try and make it work, anything to get Sabrina to stop crying at this point. But despite my best efforts to remain calm and quiet, Ashley is still running her mouth and driving me crazy. She knows exactly what buttons to push to get me to snap. My dad has warned us twice to stay quiet, Sabrina has apologized for us twice, rushing out from the back to stop our arguing, and after the second time my dad thought it best to separate us. I just had to hope that Ashley shuts her fucking mouth.**

* * *

Les has not been feeling well today. Between all the drama at the store and Ashley and Seth's continual arguing, I bet his blood pressure has been through the roof. I'm doing my best to nullify the arguments, to stop them before they start but honestly, it's like babysitting two-year old's. I can't leave them for a second, they just get into shit.

At the current moment things are okay. I'm standing beside Seth, purposely in between him and Ashley and every time they try to engage in any sort of bickering, I shut them down. It's a little harder to do with Ashley because she's not afraid of me, but I can easily get Seth to back off. It's when Ash attacks me that he get's a little wild. Luckily, she hasn't done that yet, so we're okay.

We watch Les deal with an irate customer, I ask twice if Seth should go help but he's sulking and he doesn't want to move. I try to go over, but Seth is more protective of me than a dog with a bone and he's not going to let me near anyone with ill intent in case me or the baby get hurt.

When he comes back in Les makes a bee-line for us and I have a feeling that one of us is in trouble.

"Did I tell you guys to restock the TVs?" he asks the two siblings and I turn to Seth surprised. "Did you see me dealing with a crazy customer? I gave you a job to do and you didn't do it!"

"Dad!" Ashley interrupts. "You told us we were little kids, a baby doesn't know how to do inventory!"

I can't help it; I both roll my eyes and groan. What the actual hell is her problem? Why would she say that to her dad?

"Are you kidding me?" Les thunders. "You know what I'll do it myself. Bobby J you come with me. I'll take a good employee!"

Ashley rolls her eyes and as Bobby J walks past Seth mutters: "Watch out you don't piss him off, he'll send you home," and I slap his stomach for the remark. He sort of huffs when I do it which means I hit him harder than I meant to but other than that he doesn't show the pain, other than to glare at me a little.

"He wouldn't, he's not a little kid," Les snaps at them both and then he and Bobby J are in the back.

As soon as he's gone, before either Ashley or Seth could get into another argument about who's fault this was, I turn onto my husband.

"Your father asked you to do something and you didn't do it?" I ask him and for a second he looks confused as if he doesn't understand why I'm upset with him.

"Reenie, he sent us home, he called us children!"

"You are acting like children!" I cry.

"Oh my god! You are such a suck up! Dad isn't even here," Ashley hollers at me and Seth sweeps me aside before I can stop him to get in her face.

"What did I say Ashley! Don't talk to my wife that way!" he screams. That's it I've lost him, there's no reeling him back in now.

"She's such a goody-two-shoes, always on dad's side!" Ashley screams back. A put a hand to Seth's back and plaintively say his name and that sort of gets him, at least it gets him to lower his voice.

"Just go home, Ashley, just go home already!" he growls.

"I'm not gong home!" she snaps. "You wanna go home, you can go home. And take the teacher's pet with you."

I almost had him away from her, but she insults me again and he's turning around, despite my strong hold on his arm.

They might actually get into blows this time, but it doesn't come to that. Bobby J comes crashing out from the back.

"Ashley, Seth, right now. Come with me. Right now," he cries. He's obviously very upset about something and that's enough to halt the argument and get both of them worried.

They both ask him what, following after him quickly as they're running to the back he shouts: "Les went down!" at them like that answered all of their questions instead of raising more.

At that Seth sprints away from me, dropping his hold on my hand and leaving me to waddle after the two siblings.

By the time I get there Seth is on the floor beside Les, and Ashley is on the other side of him. Both of them are bombarding him with questions that he seems incapable of answering.

"Did he say anything hurt to you?" Ashley asks Bobby J once it's clear that her dad isn't going to answer her.

"No. We were just pulling TVs I put that one on the cart and he went for that one and then just went down," Bobby J says.

Ashley turns to Seth. "What do we do, Seth?" she asks and then changes her mind. "Do something!"

But he seems to be at a loss, and is just staring at his father with concern all over his face. Ashley stands to yell at Seth and he stands to do the same, the situation is clearly getting out of hand. It's time I take over.

"Les, tell me where it hurts," I order while the two siblings freak out above me. Les doesn't say anything but his hand moves a fraction towards his side.

I lean over to probe it and he cries out in pain, I with draw my hand quickly, knowing exactly what was wrong with him.

"It's a hernia, he's got a hernia!" I cry and both Seth and Ashley stare at me like I'm crazy.

"What are you talking about?" Seth cries back as Ashley shouts: "How the hell would you know?"

"Don't talk to my wife like that Ashley!"

"Just call 911 Seth! Just do something!"

"SHUT UP!" I thunder and they both turn to me surprised. "Seth call 911, tell them it's a possible hernia. Ashley go to the front and wait for them, you're going to have to bring them to the back," I order before turning to Les. "Les, Les, I just need you to hold my hand, okay? Can you do that? Can you hold my hand?"

I grab his hand and he weakly squeezes mine. "That's great, now if the pain gets to be too much just squeeze my hand, okay?"

He nods, the tiniest inclination of motion, and a weak smile dons his face. I turn back up to Seth who is waiting on the line with 911, tears misting in his eyes.

Damn if he freaked out his bad over his dad's hernia how was he going to handle me going into labor?


	23. Chapter 23

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! We've got a fun chapter here today, with some cute moments. That baby is almost upon us, just you wait! As always don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next Sunday._

Chapter 23

* * *

**Les: I realized a lot of things when I was laid up over that surgery. But most important was: Sabrina really was my best employee. She was in the hospital with me through everything. She has the best customer service and can calm down the staff and my children when necessary, she was the only one who was calm when I was lying there on the floor. AND she was right about me having a hernia. **

**So, I put her in charge of AJL. **

**My kids were absolutely livid and I felt bad. I put strain on Ashley and Sabrina's already strained relationship, and I also made things awkward with Sabrina and Seth. But I figured it was the right thing to do for the shop. **

**So you could imagine how unhappy I was to come back and find Sabrina missing and my kids arguing in my office again.**

* * *

"Going to tell him what?" I ask as I hobble into my office with my new cane. I have Ashley behind my desk and I have walked in on my two kids going at it again. I do not see Sabrina though, neither on the floor, nor in the office, which worries me cause I left her in charge.

Both Seth and Ashley stop arguing. Ashley was just shouting about how she was going to tell me something, but she doesn't seem to want to tell me now.

"Get out of my chair… oh but thanks for the flowers."

Ashley gets up out of my chair and goes to stand beside Seth who looks pleased as punch that she's been forced to move. She purposely chooses to sit in the chair that Seth was leaning on, forcing him to move. I'm just completely shocked that my two children didn't learn anything.

"Unbelievable," I say. "I come back to you two arguing again. Really? See this is why I didn't leave you in charge."

"At least we were doing it in the office."

"Is that the answer you have for me?"

"At least we weren't doing it on the sale's floor, you taught us that."

"But the door was open!" I thunder but Ashley's in a snarky mood and doesn't see that she's being unreasonably bratty. "Okay, what's the problem?" I ask instead hoping to smooth things out and frustrated that I still have to do this.

And Ashley pounces right on the issue. "Okay. Seth sent staff home today!"

"We're slow, why would we pay people to sit around and do nothing?"

"No, we'd rather have agitated customers on the floor."

"You had one pissed off customer Ash, _one pissed off customer_!" Seth argues.

"Where's Sabrina?" I ask to get them to stop arguing.

"She went to get something to eat."

"Again," Ashley snaps. "She's _never_ here!"

It's never good when Ashley turns on Sabrina. Seth is crazily over protective of Sabrina, something which has gotten worse since the pregnancy.

"It's cravings Ash. It's cravings! You were pregnant, you know what it's like!" he thunders but then he pauses and turns to me. "But Ash is right she's rarely here, and when she's not she leaves us in charge."

"Who's rarely here?" Sabrina asks appearing with a milkshake in one hand and an in-and-out bag in the other. "I got the food you guys asked for by the way… oh Les! I didn't know you were coming back today!"

Right, so Sabrina's having pregnancy cravings and my two children were benefiting from her food runs, yeah, boo-hoo for them. I let Sabrina clasp Seth in a tight but careful hug and then she frowns at me.

"If I knew you were coming, I would have got you something."

"He can't eat that stuff, Sabrina," Ashley growls at her and Sabrina turns her patient eyes back to her.

"Don't you have customers to scare away from the jewelry section?"

Damn that was ice cold, she had gotten better at that. Ashley turns to me and shouts my name at me. Well she shouts: _Daddy_, but I say nothing. Sabrina now turns her eyes to her husband and the father of the baby in her belly.

"And you!" she growls and his eyes widen. "How dare you tell your father I'm rarely here. I have been here every day. I just happen to need more breaks and who's fault is that Seth? You! You and your unsafe sex practices! You put this baby in me and now I have to pee every three minutes and you're always too busy to get me burgers when I need them."

She's started crying which I know is just the hormones but it looks like it's physically hurting Seth to see her that distraught with him.

"You see what we've been dealing with?" Ashley cries and I nod because I do, but even with the cravings, and the mood swings Sabrina probably ran this place better then my two kids would have.

"They were arguing again weren't they," Sabrina asks me and when I nod, she turns to them. "Alright, what's the problem now. Seth you didn't butt into one of her sales again, did you?"

"No!"

"Okay and Ashley you weren't unnecessarily bossing him around, right?"

"No! He gave too many people the day off…"

"Oh, no we talked it over, Scott has his niece's birthday party today, one of the cash window girls was unwell and another has family emergency. Today's a slow day and we can handle it."

"Uh well obviously not because I had a guy screaming for service…"

"And what were you doing?" Sabrina asks casually as she takes out her burger, and then takes the top off of milkshake. Ashley almost answers the question with snark but we're all distracted by Sabrina pouring some of her milkshake onto the burger and then putting the bun back onto it.

"Oh, no, Reenie don't eat that," Seth starts but I know what it's like to argue with a woman with pregnancy cravings and it is not pretty. When Lilli was pregnant with Ashley she wanted pickles with everything, and I mean everything, ice cream, spaghetti, peanut butter, you name it she put pickles on it. When she was pregnant with Seth it was marshmallows.

We all kind of gag as she takes a bite but she seems unaffected by what she's just done.

Once Ashley is done pretending to vomit. "Oh god that's nasty."

But Seth is ready to defend his wife. "You know, I didn't say anything when you were pregnant with your first daughter and you were putting cheese on everything."

"Because putting cheese on things is normal!" Ashley complains.

"Yeah, cheese and ice cream? Normal? Yeah."

"Okay, stop it, that's enough. I'm really disappointed in all of you!" I say and immediately regret it because now Sabrina is sniffing again.

"I'm really sorry Les, I really did try…"

"Not you, I know you did a good job, it's just the pregnancy," I assure her and surprisingly I hear two groans one from Seth and one from Ashley.

"See, she gets away with everything!" Ashley cries.

"I mean, Ashley's got a point, it was us picking up the slack when Reenie was going off on one of her mood swings or spending a half hour in the washroom," Seth complains, he catches one hell of a glare from his wife and immediately lowers his eyes. "Sorry Reenie, but it's true."

"Look, I wish I could come back at full strength. I don't know when that time will come. I have to make sure that this store that I built can stay afloat. I'm concerned that it won't. I'm going to be watching you today and I'm going to make a choice. I'm going to have to pick one of you to be in control. Do you understand?"

"Got it," Seth says immediately. "Can we please pull my pregnant wife out of the running, all of this has been upsetting her and I don't want that…"

"Oh, you're just afraid that dad will give control to her again," Ashley snaps and Seth's face goes red.

"Yeah, so are you!" he shouts at her. "Look, she shouldn't be on her feet all day, she's gotta go to the washroom every thirty minutes, and I just… I don't want her on the floor. So for right now, right now can she please just not be one of the choices, and then later, when she's not pregnant you can do a re-evaluation or something?"

I glance to Sabrina who doesn't even look upset, she seems to guess that I'm waiting for her input and she eventually swallows down the last bite of her burger and milkshake and says: "Honestly, I didn't like Seth being mad at me because you gave me the store. He said he wasn't but I could tell he was."

"I'm not mad, Reenie, I'm worried!"

"I can tell when you're lying Seth."

I watch my son tip his head back and groan and I know that I've put an unfair strain on he and his wife.

"Alright, for right now it'll be between Seth and Ashley," I tell them and Sabrina smiles and hugs me again. "Now get out of my office. I'll make a decision by the end of the day."

They all go to leave but I call Reenie to come back. "Not yet, me and you need to catch up. I wanna hear all about my newest grandchild. You two pick any names yet?"

Seth was literally right about to leave but I know from Sabrina's previous complaints that he has not been leaving her alone. So, I know the fact that I want him out of the office but his pregnant wife is still inside is not sitting well with him.

"Shut the door behind you Seth," I order and the confliction is clear on his face. But he gets a smile from Sabrina and only then does he close the door.

Well at least that hadn't changed.

* * *

**Les: I've been watching my kids. I watch as Ashley deals with a customer rudely, but hey she made the right call. I watch Seth deal with a customer correctly and almost get into a fight. They've both been behaving well. Very well. But Ashley's customer service is lacking and Seth is extremely distracted by Sabrina. I also know that whatever I choose will upset the other, and it will feel an awful lot like I've picked a favourite child and that's not fair. Now I don't know what I'm going to do. **

* * *

I blew up at a patron who was trying to tell me that his clearly not-original engine was completely original parts, not touched up. Lies. All lies. He wasn't going to pull the wool over my eyes, not even close, the little shit.

But Seth had wanted me to calm down, so he sent me inside. "Go sit in your office," he had said to me and while I was horrified that Seth had bossed me around like that, he had kept a level head both with the patron and with me. Which is surprising cause Seth is a short fuse. Maybe it was a fluke.

But when I got into the office, I found I wasn't the only one. Sabrina is sitting there drinking what was probably caffeine free tea and munching on a cookie.

"Ah I see you've been put in the naughty-slash-calm-down corner," she says to me with a wry grin. "I get sent here like three times a day."

Seth sent her into my office as a time out corner? That better have been all they were doing in here.

"Oh yeah?" I ask. "What did you get sent in here for this time?"

"A got into a screaming match with lady at the counter who was being unreasonable, and he thought I was giving myself too much excitement so here I am." I nod yeah, that sounds like something Seth would do. It took some maneuvering that I didn't ask for, but Sabrina pulled herself up out of my chair to give it to me. Once we had switched seats and she had handed me one of the cookies she was eating she asked: "What did you do."

"Some little punk was trying to pull the wool over my eyes, tried to get in his face, Seth thought I was gonna pop a stitch and sent me in here."

"I feel your pain."

"My pain?"

Sabrina turns bland eyes to me. "I'm not allowed to have an excitement anymore," she says plainly. "I mean seriously, if I laugh too hard, he freaks out. And you don't even want to know what happens if I sneeze."

I turn a dry glare to her. This is not what I want to talk about with her. "What do you think? About who should be in charge until I'm back on my feet."

Sabrina shakes her head. "Nope. No, I'm not getting in the middle, it was hard enough just being the boss with those two going at it and ganging up on me. I threatened to divorce Seth twice."

Oh, that must have been rough, must have set Seth right off. I try not to laugh thinking about it.

We sit there for only the briefest of seconds munching on our cookies when Seth bangs into the office.

"I turned down the car, he wasn't being reasonable," he announces as if anyone cares. "How are you feeling dad?"

"I feel fine," I tell him without lying.

Seth then turns to Sabrina. "And you, are you okay?"

"I am fine. I was fine when the woman started yelling at me, and after too. You have got to stop coddling me Seth."

"Sabrina, be reasonable," he pleaded, kneeling in front of her because it was easier than her getting up. "You're only supposed to answer my phone and do administrative tasks, you're not supposed be at the front."

"Is that all you think I'm good for?" she suddenly screeches and both Seth and I cringe. From what I heard she was doing that a lot, the mood swings. Ashley said the two of them would have screaming matches in the office about how unreasonable she was being.

I wonder if I'll witness one now?

Seth puts his hands to her shoulders and looks at her with a soft smile. "Of course not. You're wonderful and kind and ever so patient, you would be wonderful at the front and you know normally I don't mind if you cover or if you're out on the sales floor with me and Ashley, but you have to remember what the doctor said."

Sabrina rolls her eyes. "I know, I know."

"Remember he said you need to rest, any form of excitement could put you into early labour, and I don't want that, you don't want that, no one wants that." His hands rub up and down her arms in a soothing manner. "I want both you and the baby to be healthy, happy and…"

"Safe," she finishes for him.

"Alright, so where should you stay?"

"At my desk unless I'm with you or Ashley."

Seth smiles happily and then turns to me, clearly hoping for a streak. "And can you promise not to get that riled up? None of us want you to go back to the hospital dad."

I nod and give him my promise. I'm impressed, I can't help it. I've never seen my son seem so mature and calm. Maybe it wasn't a fluke.

* * *

It's the end of the day when my dad calls a meeting, for the whole store. He just came into the back and demanded that me and Ashley meet out at the front. I think I know what this means, that he's going to announce which of us is going to be in charge while he's getting better. It better not be Sabrina again. I know he said he took her out of the running for it, but I wouldn't put it past my old man to put her back into it without discussing it with us.

"So, as you know it's been a couple weeks since I've been here. I'm back but not at 100. So, for the better of the store, while I'm recovering, I have decided to put someone else in charge."

Yes, this is it. I'm reasonably confident that it's going to be me, I mean… if it's Ashley I'm going to die, but I'm pretty sure my dad will make the right choice and put me in charge.

"And my decision is…"

He purposely swung his head towards me and Ashley, beside me Sabrina nestled into my side, an arm around my torso. It helps the jitters since my dad has decided to pause dramatically.

"I'm going to put Seth in charge."

YES! _It is me_. Beside me, Sabrina kisses my neck. While Ashley huffs and sighs on the other side of me, she's no doubt rolling her eyes too.

"Anything that needs to be decided will go through him. I will be back eventually at 100% but for right now Seth's in control."

We all get up to leave, to go back into the back and I turn to see the shocked look on Ashley's face. Ohhh she's not happy.

She goes to open her mouth but Sabrina puts a hand out and into her face. "Nuh-uh we can talk about it later."

I smile patronizingly at Ashley and tug Sabrina away before the two can get into an argument. I can't believe my dad picked me. I _knew_ he'd make the right choice one day!

* * *

**Ashley: You know what? Let Seth run the store. My dad will see, he'll see that he made the wrong choice. And I won't have to do anything to Seth. All I'll have to do is pick on Sabrina and my brother will flip. That's all I'll have to do to prove he's not manager material.**


	24. Chapter 24

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: And here's another chapter my wonderful readers. I hope it's as cute as the other ones! As always, don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 24

* * *

The day after they put Seth in charge, I got to stay home from work. Not because I wanted to but because I sneezed and peed a little and Seth was certain I broke my water. I didn't even pee that much but the way Seth reacted… I might as well have been Niagara Falls.

It took forever to calm him down and he only did so once I agreed to stay at home.

He spent the whole day texting me to check up, and calling me to make sure I was okay. So, I was only mildly surprised when he came home early.

It was the slam of the door that had woken me up. It's only seconds after that that Seth finds his way into our room where I have just managed to get myself up and out of bed. I take one look at his sorrowful gaze and open my arms up to him. Seth presses himself into the embrace and for a moment I'm certain something's happened to Les.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?"

I pray it's not what I think it is and I'm immediately rewarded.

"I had a pretty shit day at work."

Though I am grateful that Les is fine, I frown at my husband. My hands go to the side of his face so I can play with those sideburns. "How is that possible? You're manager… it's only your first day."

"I implemented a new system at the store and… and… I unno. Ash and Dad, they didn't like it. And okay. Okay it wasn't perfect but… he wouldn't even let me try."

"Well I'm sure you can go back tomorrow and fix it."

"He took the control back."

Oh, that was such a Les thing to do. I sigh at him carefully before saying: "It's okay. You can talk to him tomorrow about maybe making a change… or a tweak."

"He said Ash and I are on probation."

Well damn. No wonder Seth was so upset.

"Aw. Aw baby, I'm so sorry." I get up on my tippy toes to press a kiss to his cheek, close to his lips and for a second he kisses me solidly. And I let him because my baby needed a win.

"I just want to veg, can we do that?"

"Yes, we can. You go sit in front of the TV and I'll make something for dinner, okay?"

Seth goes to the couch and I make a silent vow to go to work tomorrow and make sure that my baby gets a second chance.

* * *

**Sabrina: Yeah, except that didn't happen either. I woke up definitely very sick and unable to get out of bed. Which meant that Seth had to go in by himself. I gave him a pep talk between throwing up, and sent him off with well wishes, good luck and all my positive vibes because I had been throwing up and couldn't kiss him. Then he came back early, once again, absolutely livid. Ashley had been reinstated as a manager but not him. Granted he had yelled at his dad which didn't help matters but still… my baby was upset and I knew I had to do something to make sure that he got himself back in his dad's good graces before Ashley took things too far. **

* * *

Ashley is _killing_ me.

She got reinstated as manager before me and now she is bossing me around and driving me crazy, on purpose. I shouldn't have yelled at my dad. Yes he butt into my deal when I was trying to show him that I could do it on my own but I should have just called Sabrina and ranted at her.

My only solace today is that Sabrina is in today, which means every time Ashley annoys me, I can go see her. She's ever so good at calming me down… even its only for a few minutes.

I am not so lucky at this moment, because I'm on the sales floor and Ashley's been sent out to work with me on dad's orders. She's being so condescending about me buying a 10-dollar bird cage that she offers to take the next person to come up.

And oh boy does the next person have a douzy.

It's two women, a mother and daughter pair and they have a toilet. Some special 1955 toilet. And Ashley not only entertains the idea, but she negotiates and _buys_ the fucking thing.

10 dollars for a toilet. I mean it's a good deal, but… she… she bought a toilet. We're not American Jewellery and Toilets.

But now it's my job to put it in the back. I'm livid. Livid. I nudge Ashley and tell her to follow me, now we're in the back and I can yell at her not in front of the customers like Dad wants.

"What the hell are you doing? So, you give me shit all time for buying stupid stuff so you're gonna spend ten dollars on a toilet?"

"Yeah? It's 10 dollars."

"You _really_ just spent 10 dollars on a toilet? This is what you do when you're in charge?"

"It's 10 dollars."

I can't take it. I know it was 10 dollars but she yelled at me over a 10 dollar bird cage!

"Seth, do you know how much toilets sell for now a day?"

"Dude, it's a 1950s toilet."

"I'll make a profit!"

"You're gonna make a profit?"

Oh my god she's using my words against me. This is exactly what I said about the birdcage and now she's using them. What, is she trying to prove a point or something?

That's it. That's it I just can't fucking handle it.

"Okay, here's the deal. Would you like to double your money?" I ask her.

For a moment my sister is stunned by the question. "Who wouldn't? It's a toilet, Seth. Do you know that it's a10 dollar investment?"

I take out my wallet and pull out a brand new 20-dollar bill and then slap it into my sister's hand.

"Here's 20. Go get dad and meet me out back."

I walked away to my sister asking me where I was going, and reminding me that the sales floor was in the opposite direction of where I'm going. I know that Sabrina is out of her seat by her desk because I was yelling and she's very big on supporting me or calming me down when my sister and I go at it. But she's pregnant and she's completely swollen up now, which means she can't keep up with my long strides. Which is probably why I get the sledge hammer and get to the toilet that I have Bobby-J bringing to the back for me without her managing to talk me out of the plan.

By the time my dad and my sister have reached me, I have the sledge hammer and toilet all set up.

My dad tells me to take it easy. Sabrina already knows what I'm doing, and she's asking me to stop. My sister asks over and over what I think I'm doing.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

I say nothing. I just smash the toilet, first through the tank and then through the bowl. It's nothing but a pile of rubble now. Best 20 dollars I've ever spent. I throw the sledge hammer down, stalk over to my car, despite my dad asking me to calm down. I get in and drive away without saying a single word.

Screw them. They can run the store without me.

* * *

**Seth: I'm in the car for a whole five minutes before I get the call. I left Sabrina back at the store. So much for my grand exit. **

* * *

I watch Seth drive away and realize he forgot he brought me to work today. Well. That's fine. I go into the back, quickly dial his cell and tell him of his mistake.

I can hear the regret in his voice and the sincerity in apology so I'm not too mad at him. I collect our things and get back to the front just as Les and Ashley come back into the store.

"That was uncalled for, Ashley," I tell her even though Les is already reading her the riot act. "You don't have to torment your brother like that."

"Oh my god! This is not my fault! Seth is just being a baby!"

But he's not, and she knows that. But I don't say anything else, and instead turn to Les. "Seth's on his way back, so I'm going to go home with him. I'll try and talk him down, okay?"

Les nods and lets me get a hug in. I say my good-byes just as Seth's car pulls back into the lot. Oh, he owes me In-And-Out burgers for sure now.


	25. Chapter 25

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! So we have yet another cute little chapter here. We're going to be delving a lot into stuff that happens in the episodes for the next little bit but we will eventually see some non-episode cute stuff. As always don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 25

* * *

**Ashley: Like the little baby he is, Seth has not come into work today. Neither has my dad come in. Which means I'm in control and that's the way I like it. Everything was going great until all our computer went down. I was ready to deal with it but then my dad finally decided to grace us with his presence and neither of us can figure it out what's wrong and now I'm screwed. Because Seth, Seth is the computer guy, he'll know how to fix it. Which means I now how have to call my brother. Who, the last time I saw, was storming out of the store because he couldn't take a joke. But my dad won't call him and he won't let me pass the buck either. It's up to me to call my brother and beg him to help us. Shoot me now.**

* * *

I'm lounging in bed with my half-asleep wife. The plan was to go baby-shopping but she woke up horny and it was my duty, as the man who impregnated her and the love of her life, to fuck her until she wasn't horny anymore. And it was _great_. I more than rose to that occasion, pun intended. Fuck I'd love it if she were pregnant all the time cause the sex was phenomenal.

I was so mad at Ashley that I had no intention of going in today. The whole day was going to be dedicated to staying with my wife, who loved me and treated me right, and getting baby stuff for our soon to be coming baby.

I was only half expecting a call from the store, but I was expecting it to be my father. And that is the only reason I picked it up.

But it isn't my dad calling me, it's Ash.

"Hi Seth… I need you to please come in. I need your help."

Those words must have felt like acid dropping from my sister's lips. "Excuse me? My help?"

"Yes, Seth I need your help."

"Help, who needs help?" Sabrina asks clearly having decided that she's more awake than asleep at that moment. Which is terrible timing, but what am I going to do now?

I cover the mouthpiece of the phone to say: "Ashley, something's wrong at the store I guess."

"The computers are down," Ashley tells me, which means I didn't cover the phone as well as I thought I did, as Sabrina quickly gets up in bed to look at me.

"You're gonna go right?"

"Why the hell should I go? Ashley doesn't deserve my help. She wants to be manager she can fix it her damn self!"

"Seth please, I tried, I need you to come in," I hear Ashley cry from the phone but I'm more concerned with my wife, who has suddenly started crying herself. "God Reenie, why are you crying?"

"Because that's your family and they need you and…"

God her pregnancy hormones, sometimes they were great but most of the time they made her crazy. Why couldn't she go back to being horny, huh? We were having such a great time when she was horny.

"For godsake, Reenie. Stop it. I'm going to go in, stop it. Yes. Yes. Fuck Ashley you made her cry."

There was a bit of a pause before I heard Ashley's regular no-longer-need-to-suck-up-and-be-nice-voice came back to the phone. "Your wife is pregnant she cries at everything."

"Well you get her to stop then?" I say and then toss Sabrina the phone. Before she can cry to Ashley, I lean in to kiss her. "You're lucky I love you."

Sabrina sniffs and then puts the phone to her ear. "Seth says he's going to come in and I'm going to call your mom later to see if she'll go shopping with me, I know you're busy today but I need someone for Saturday if you'd like."

Great the women were going to go shopping and I was going to have to work. Wasn't that just wonderful?

* * *

Am I happy that my brother showed up? Of Course. Am I happy that _I _had to call him? No, but he showed up and that was great. Especially since we had a crazy line up of people waiting to redeem their stuff and one guy in particular going crazy over getting his ring out.

I've tried to explain to him what's going on, our tellers tried telling him before I even got there, but this man was adamant on being a douche.

He shouted, he screamed, he had slammed his ticket at my as aggressively as possible so I went to go pull his ring. I actually took Seth away from fixing the server to pull the ring by hand. And he did. The problem was, it was the wrong ring, it was some woman's ring.

Panic was the main feeling. I knew I felt it and by the look in my brother's eyes he felt it too. The computer was printing duplicate tickets. Well wasn't that just fucking peachy? And with the computers down he wouldn't be able to know which ring was his unless he went through it by hand. And Seth did not have that time.

I manage to talk to the man down, tell him to come back later. Seth gets the computers at the front working but the vault system is still down, which means he still hasn't found the crazy man's ring. It's getting closer to the time that this guy is going to come in and AJL's reputation is on stake here. I don't want to bother my brother, I don't want to seem like I'm pestering him, but I need that ring.

"Do you have the ring Seth?"

Seth is at the computer and I have once again broken his concentration to ask him that question.

"You gotta give me more time, Ash," he says again. But that's the problem we don't have anymore time. That crazy man is going to come back into this store any second and I still don't have the ring.

"Well how much time do you need?"

"I'm working back here. Stop."

It's a fair request and I know it. But we're on a time crunch and he knows it. So, I leave him alone and I go back to watching the door dreading this man's inevitable return.

An hour later, still no ring, crazy guy walks through the door. He comes straight for the wrong line, the hardware windows and shouts: "Where's my fucking ring at?"

Here we go.

Well if he's going to be a dick, I'm going to wait for him to find me. He paces a bit and then finally walks by as if looking for me, shouting: "Hello!" on the top of his lungs.

It would do no good to ignore him so I call out a: "Hi!" back.

Once he spots me, he makes a beeline for me, gets as close to the window as he can and practically screams: "I'm back!" at me. Like I couldn't fucking see that.

"Where's my ring?"

I need to stall. I say hold on, take his ticket, again, and then slowly walk back to Seth. Yes, I know I should be in a hurry but I'm trying to buy him some time.

I get to the vault where my brother is still peering at the computer which makes me nervous, still I ask: "The guy's back, are you ready?"

"No Ashley I'm not ready. Ash, I'm working back here. You coming back here every five minutes isn't going to make me work any faster."

Okay yes fair, maybe I shouldn't have bugged him so much and I'll definitely apologize later, but we have a disaster on our hands and I just want to fix it. "How much more time do you need?"

"I don't know Ash."

That was not that answer I needed or wanted. But it's the answer I've got and I need to work with it. I can stall, that's all I can do, and hope to god my brother finds this guy's ring.

I return to the front, and go out, not hide behind the window, so I can talk to him.

"Okay… so… I just need five more minutes," I tell him, and I get the exact response I expect from him.

He blows up immediately. "No. Fuck five more minutes!" he's clapping at me and throwing his hands around all while I'm trying to calm him down and just listen to reason. "It is right over there in the display case!"

This old scam again. I'm not falling for that. "No, it isn't! It's in the vault"

"No. I see it!"

I ask him to take a few breaths and he sort of does and kind of calms down. "Just give my guy five more minutes to figure out where it went okay?"

He shakes his head. "No, just get my ring out of that display case and then I will be gone."

I don't even bother trying to tell him that it's not there, he's not listening to reason. "Please, just calm down. I said it's here, it's in the vault, our computers are down and we're trying to pull it by hand, okay?"

A normal person would have been fine with this, but not this guy. He doesn't yell at me anymore but he half walks away and I'm not sure which is worse at this point.

"You told me to come back in an hour!"

"You need to calm down!"

"NO! I'm here now and I want my mother fucking ring!"

God this is escalating way out of control. "Fuck this. You're gonna try and sell my fucking ring, that I paid to get back!"

Suddenly the door opens and breathless Seth is beside me. "Is this your lot?"

He drops a ring on the counter and I calmly offer it up to the guy. He takes it and looks it over. "Oh… this is it."

"See, I told you it was going to be an hour and I'd have it out for you," I remind him and he finally concedes.

"Okay."

Is that it. That's all I get for the hassle he put us through, what the hell?

"I'm sorry for the wait, sir."

But I don't get my apology, he simply says okay one more time and then leaves me there. What… what the hell is that? My god, people have no manners anymore. Seth leans back and I almost thank him for rushing out there to get me the ring, but the adrenaline of the situation is wearing off and my dad has decided to join us.

"You see what happens when you two work as a team?" Oh god, he's not going to turn this into a life lesson, is he? "You two handled that situation absolutely perfectly and that is how I expect you guys to work together. No more fighting."

"Sure, dad," both Seth and I say together. We may be in sync at that moment but I know there will still be arguments, and my dad's delusional if he thinks we won't argue anymore after this. Absolutely delusional.

* * *

**Les: Do I think that my kids are actually going to stop arguing? Hell no I'm not that stupid, but if I'm lucky they'll have seen how good they work together and maybe the arguing will be a little less frequent.**

**Seth: I may not always see eye to eye with my sister, but we're family. And it's good to know that when the chips are down, we have each other's back. **

**Ashley: Absolutely delusional.**

* * *

The rest of the day runs smoothly. I get the computers up and running even in the vault and we don't have anymore issues with the patrons. I don't say anything but I'm happy that I managed to help out my family today. I'm glad that Sabrina sent me into work today. I feel like it brought me and my sister closer together though neither of us are going to admit that to the other.

And I'm definitely not admitting it now that Sabrina has come into the store with my mom. I hug and kiss Sabrina first before giving my mom a hug and peck on the cheek. They're laden down with bags, and immediately I take the ones that Sabrina has. She shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting and that is something I keep reminding my family.

"The crib is at home, and this is all the extra stuff, like clothes and toys. I told Ashley I'd show her."

Just on cue Ashley came out of the back, she took in the bags and squealed. "Oh my gosh what a haul, are you sure you need to go shopping on Saturday."

"Course she does, we still need to stock her up on essentials, like diapers and baby wipes," my mom argues and Ashley smiles because it means that she can go shopping with the girls.

"How did everything go, did Seth fix the problem?"

Ashley shoots me a little bit of a glance before she nods and says: "Actually yeah, he did." She then cleared her throat and turned to me. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for coming in today, I know you were mad at me, so… just… thank you."

Jesus. Hell must have froze over. But instead of saying that to her… which I totally could and should have, I nod to her and beside me I hear the tell-tale sniff from my wife. I turn to look at her to find that tears are streaming down her face.

"Aw, you guys are getting long, that's soo sweet and wonderful…"

Okay, so, if it's so sweet why the hell is she crying? I try to not be frustrated but I can't help it. "God why are you crying now?"

"Because I'm so goddamn happy." Oh my god my wife is a disaster.

"Okay, tell dad I'm gonna take Reenie home, she's had too much excitement for one day."

"Tell him yourself," Ashley snaps, completely back to normal now. Already nose deep in all the bags that Sabrina and mom my let it. I leave them to it to go into the back to get my things and talk to my dad.

It's at moments like these that I remember why I want this pregnancy to be over as soon as possible.


	26. Chapter 26

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Monday my wonderful readers! I'm sorry i forgot to post yesterday. I've been doing renovations and I basically was too tired to edit and post. The update I have for you today is supposed to be a funny one so hopefully it makes you laugh. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you next week. (On time this time, I promise.)_

Chapter 26

* * *

**Seth: Since the price of gold went down, our business went down. Since we're not making as many sales as we usually do our warehouse is full to the brim. We have no where to put anything. I immediately offered my dad the services of an industry professional that I knew could help us. I thought my dad might turn me down, thinking he knew better but he surprised me by asking me to bring the guy in. Is it weird that I'm oddly excited for this?**

* * *

"Hey dad this is Steve the consultant I talked to you about."

I wait for the fire works, for my dad to have changed his mind but instead he gets to his feet to shake Steve's hand. They exchange the normal pleasantries before my dad offers him a chair to sit down in.

Once we're all seated immediately my dad starts with the 3rd degree. "Have you ever been in a pawnshop before?"

"I've been in a few."

Already I can see that we're not onto a good start. So, I step in immediately to try and get us back to a place where my dad won't freak out. "He's going to take a look around, look at the systems we have in place and then give us criticisms on how we can improve."

It sounds ideal, any business man worth his salt knows that this is a good idea, but my dad is very protective of AJL, and he's stubbornly sure that he knows everything there is to know about the business. To him there is no need for improvement.

I wait for some sort of snarky attitude, but my dad seems to take this with a level head. "Welcome to the store."

Wow that was it?

"So, there's something you think you can teach us?"

Ah there's a little bit of the sass. It's a throwdown, a challenge. He's asking the man if he thinks he knows more about the pawnshop business then Les, who's been in it all his life.

"Give me a little time and I'll dazzle you."

Not the right answer. "Again, welcome to my store, and it will dazzle _you_. Pleasure meeting you."

That was it, conversation done. He shakes Steve's hand and leaves me to show the man around. Well, at least he didn't try to follow us. That would have made things worse.

* * *

**Sabrina: Seth sent me a text saying he had someone in to give some kind of consultation about the store and the organizational system. The pregnancy-hormone-crazed bitch in me wonders immediately why Seth need to reorganize my organizational system? I worked hard to put that bitch in place. The reasonable woman in me, realizes that Les and his resistance to change will probably be a bigger issue than my wounded pride. I know, since gold dropped, that AJL is dealing mainly in TVs and the last I was in we were running out of space in the warehouse, which, even with my amazing system, is a problem. So instead of getting mad at Seth I decide to stop by the store to see him, to give him my support and maybe steal him away for a few kisses.**

* * *

Seth is only half surprised when I show up, he's also mid showing Steve around the store. That doesn't stop him from wrapping me in a hug and introducing me to Steve. Call me a love sick fool, but I love hearing Seth say: "This is my wife, Sabrina."

I get to follow Seth and Steve around while Seth explains things, I can tell by the redness in Seth's ears that he's a little embarrassed by some of the practices we have here. But he's doing a good job at now showing Steve that.

When Steve's done, we head back into Les' office, Ashley takes the chair beside Steve, while I stand beside Seth. Already I can see that he's looking for somewhere for me to sit down, but I don't want to sit. I'm expecting fireworks and I want to be ready for when they do show up.

Les introduces Ashley to Steve and that's about all we get for pleasantries, it's straight to business with Les. "Okay so did you do some consulting?"

God why does he sound so condescending?

"I looked around."

"What'd you find?"

He leans back in his chair like he doesn't expect this guy to have found anything. Like this guy was gonna say there was nothing wrong, when, really, there was a lot wrong with the place.

"You have a great store. You have lots of good things," he says and what a good place to start.

"Name one?"

He hooks his thumb over his shoulder to where Seth stands with his arm around me. "Seth."

Yes, that's right, my baby was one of the good things in this store. I smile up to my husband and his pink ears as he tries to hide his smile, and I nuzzle a little closer to him.

"How much did you pay him to say that?" Les asks and I scowl at him.

"Don't even play, Les, you know how good Seth is for AJL."

He smiles patiently at me and says nothing else and Steve decides to change the topic.

"You've got a lot of great technology. You've got a good online department, good sales people and uh the way everything is actually organized back there is phenomenal, so good job at that."

Seth shoots me a wide proud grin and I can't help but grin because cause that was all me. But I'll take credit for that later.

"But you've got a lot of problems."

Oh, here we go. This is it. This is where the fight is going to start.

"The problem is you're putting perfume on a pig."

Already I'm shaking my head. What the hell is this guy's problem. Beside him Seth inhales sharply and beside Steve Ashley has turned away because she's trying not to laugh. I turn to Les who doesn't look like he's going to explode… yet. But it's coming, I can definitely tell it's coming.

"You have all this great technology on top of a warehouse that's filled with junk."

Oh there's strike two. Never call Les Gold's stuff junk.

"Space that's wasted. It's time to get some dumpsters and throw some of that garbage out and time to make some money, some profit from the areas.

And strike three. He's threatening to throw out Les' stuff.

He shakes his head. "A lot of wasted space. Tell me about the zoo that's in the back."

"You just said it was wonderfully organized," Les reminds him. Yes, I want to remind him of that too.

"A good organizational scheme is great. And it is great. But there's only so much it can do other than make sure you know exactly where your clutter is."

That was true too. But was Les going to see that?

"You have rows, and rows, and rows, of fur coats."

"You know what those represent to me? Rows and rows of money."

"Tell me about the air conditioners in the back. It's the dead of summer and I saw 50 or 60 air conditioners sitting in a pile."

That is a valid question and that is why Les starts to raise his voice. "You can't sell it all!"

"You can't get through to anything with this guy," Seth says to Steve, clearly done arguing.

"You can't get anything through because I know how to run a pawn shop." Everyone went quiet and Les realized that the only way to get this guy out of his office was to start playing dirty. "Why the hell are you paying this guy money?"

"You're missing the concept," Ashley says trying to get Les back on track.

"Let me tell you something. You may know retail but I know how to run a pawnshop. I appreciate everything that you've done, but this meeting is over."

"You're stepping over dollars to pick up pennies!"

Les is immediately out of his seat and leaning over his desk "This is _my_ store! I will run it as _I see fit_!"

Before things can get even farther out of hand I've moved way from Seth and to Les. I lean in and put a hand on his arm and immediately his hot angry eyes are on me. I just smile as prettily as I can and pin him with a knowing stare.

"Les, He's only proposing a different organizational scheme. Like my organizational schematic that organized the back into sections. Except he's trying to do it so you rotate correctly, so you focus on the money-making areas of the season. Yes, he's suggesting that we downsize a little bit, but there are a lot of things in the back that are broken and kind of need to go. You understand?"

He opens his mouth to argue with me and I shake my head. "No, stop. Here's what we're going to do. Seth, you're going to stop instigating. Ashley you're going to try and not roll your eyes, Steve is going to pray to whatever god he subscribes to and Les, you're going to take five deep yoga breaths and contemplate what I just said."

"You should listen to that little girl, she's smarter than all of you combined."

I can literally feel the anger rolling off of Seth. I turn back to Steve with a glare that knocks the smile right off of his face. "Okay, stop praying and fucking shut up."

Les glares at him too for a bit, we've both noticed that Seth has pivoted where he stands and is now boring holes into Steve's face with his own glare. If Steve and Seth are left alone, Seth might throw a punch.

"You think it's a good idea?" he asks me.

"Yeah. I mean, it makes sense to rotate things seasonally. And yeah, we really need to throw things out, but it's not like we're going to do any of this without your permission, and your okay. But hey if you want to find a different consultant to work with cause this one is a dick, by all means, I'm down for that too."

Steve scoffs at us, like he thinks we're funny. "Keep laughing, she's absolutely right."

"Don't think of it as someone who knows better, coming in to fix you. Think of it as this person is here to help you be the best you can be."

For a second Les stands there, he thinks about it and then sits down. "Actually. Yeah… I think… I think that sounds… uh… good. Except I don't want to change too much and I don't want to throw anything out."

"Some things are going to need to go to make room. This of it this way. Useless broken things leave, and you get to fill up the space with something that will make you the big bucks."

Les sighs. "Fine. Whatever." He then points a finger at Steve. "Trial basis only!"

The two men shake hands and together they head to the front of the shop, no doubt to talk shop about when he could start or whatever it was Les wanted to talk to him about. Once they were gone I let out a shaky breath.

"Jeezus I'm like the freaking Les Gold whisperer."

To be honest I'm surprised. No one's ever been able to convince him to do anything. I'm certain it's because I'm pregnant.

"Yes, wonderful. Let's hope you can do it again when he inevitably changes his mind," Ashley snaps before leaving herself.

I let her go. She's not worth the trouble anyway. I simply turn a smile to my husband and pull him down for that kiss I came all the way here to collect.

And as always, Seth is happy to comply.


	27. Chapter 27

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! Are you ready for a new OC to enter the story? Because it's happening today! As always, if you enjoyed it don't forget to review, or fav or follow and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 27

* * *

**Seth: The problem with my dad is that, he agreed to our new idea for about three seconds. Okay, about a week. We were doing good until the doctor put Sabrina on bed rest, and Steve decided to start throwing things out. My dad pitched a fit and threw him out of the store. Apparently only Sabrina could deal with my dad and with her out of commission everything went back to normal. I had tried to talk to my dad but of course he just dismissed me. I was livid, I have a baby on the way we need to be making money not loosing it and my dad is just making it worse by not letting us grow. So… I decide to take matters into my own hands. **

* * *

Seth has been gone for most of the day. I tried calling him but he didn't pick up the first couple of times and the last time I got a hold of him he practically blew me off.

I was worried, I couldn't help it I was his dad, of course I'd be worried, so I called Sabrina. It was a bad idea, to worry her when Seth was so worried about her wellbeing and the doctor told her to stay on bed rest and to stay calm, but I needed answers. Seth had been so worried about Sabrina that he didn't trust her to stay home alone, so he had asked Lily to stay with her during the day, like some kind of babysitter. But it wouldn't be completely unheard of if Sabrina called him and asked him to come home. Seth would have sprinted out of here.

Maybe I just missed the mad dash for the car.

But calling her got me no answers. According to her Seth was at work, that was where he said he'd be. Then she immediately wondered if he was hurt… or worse… cheating on her. Everyone in the family knew there was no way my son was going to go down that road again, there was no way that he'd cheat on Sabrina a second time and potentially lose her… AGAIN. So that wasn't on the cards, and she normally would have known that if she wasn't going crazy with the baby hormones.

So when, after everything else, not even Sabrina knew where Seth was, I knew I was going to have to do some digging.

I walk into the back and go straight to Ashley's desk. "Hey do you know where Seth is?"

Ashley doesn't even look up from her computer. "I'm not my brother's keeper. I don't know where he is."

Well, Ashley was no help either. I pull out my phone and try to call him again, even I'm starting to get worried now. Flashes of my baby boy dead in a ditch somewhere, or rolling into some hospital after a major car accident are running through my head.

This time however he picks up the phone.

"Hey."

"Yep?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm… around."

Ominous. "What does that mean?"

Seth pauses again. "It means I'll be there in a little bit." His voice had been low for most of the call but suddenly it perked up. "Hey, here's a question… is there a reason why Sabrina is texting me accusing me of cheating on her?"

Yep, I don't want to answer that because I know exactly why she was texting him about that.

"Alright see you soon," I say and then hang up the phone as quickly as I can.

Ashley begins to laugh. "Oh… if you bothered his precious Sabrina about this, Seth is going to flip shit."

Yes, he would, but I had bigger issues at that moment. "Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"Have you checked his calendar? He puts everything in his calendar."

Okay, well that's good to know. Would have been nice if someone had told me that sooner though. Either way, I leave Ashley and go to his office look into the giant black suitcase that was the calendar that he used. My son loves his technology and I know that the only reason he uses this paper calendar is because Sabrina got it for him. And it works for me, because I can easily flip to the right day. I'm absolutely shocked by what I find there.

"Really?" I ask myself.

"What? What really? What did you find?" Ashley asks but honestly, I'm just too betrayed to believe it. There's no way my son, my own flesh and blood could do this to me.

I slam the calendar shut and leave his office, now I have Ashley's compete attention. "I'm too upset to talk about it right now. I'll be back."

* * *

**Les: I can't believe my son, I thought I could trust him. I never would have imagined out of both of my children, that my precious baby boy would be the one to sell me out. But sure enough, I go all the way to Bill's Pawnshop, look into the window and there he fucking is. Standing there, with what I assume is Bill the owner, clearly talking shop with him. I didn't want to think he was there, but… he was. I've never felt so betrayed in my entire life. My son is abandoning the family business for the competition. Well… I won't stand for it. **

* * *

I come back from my meeting and I'm already tense. My dad has been on my ass, Sabrina is sending me text messages like I owe her money about not being at work and cheating on her. So, I'm livid when I see her car in the parking lot and I swear my mom better have borrowed the car to come check on my dad.

But nope. I walk in and I see Sabrina standing with my dad and my mom and my sister. Oh god I'm going to kill them. For fuck sake.

As soon as they spot me, Sabrina turns around, her eyes wild and tear stained. Fuck these hormones they sure as hell got her doing all sorts of crazy things.

Before she can even shout at me, I'm on her. "What are you doing here, Sabrina? You're supposed to be on bed rest!" I then turn onto my mom. "Why did you let her come here mom!"

But my mom doesn't get to answer. Sabrina has punched my shoulder, hard. "You're leaving me, aren't you?!"

To be honest, I'm hurt that she could even think I would do that to her and our child. After everything I went through just to get her back in the first place. How the hell could she possibly think that I'd cheat, or leave her. I damn near took a bullet for her.

"Leaving you… leaving you… Sabrina!"

"Yes, you are. Les told me! There's a new pawnshop and new woman. You're leaving me, you're leaving the family!"

See now I'm surprised, cause I didn't tell her about the other pawnshop yet. Which meant someone had to tell her about it. This can only mean one thing… that my dad knows where I was today and for some reason, he told Sabrina, who now thinks that I'm leaving her for another woman. Thanks a lot dad.

I turn on him. "You worried my pregnant wife over this? Are you out of your mind?!"

"Well why were you working at my competitors?"

I groan because that is not the point. "But why the hell did you call Sabrina, why didn't you just call me?!"

"You weren't pick up your phone!" he yells.

"Because I was _busy_!" I scream back.

"Stop yelling! Stop yelling! We're family, family doesn't argue like this," she shouts at us and I immediately turn to her.

"You stop yelling, you're supposed to be on bed rest!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on!"

"For godsake Sabrina, of course I'm not leaving you… I was…"

But she doesn't let me finish, she hits my shoulder again, this time with her purse. Damn, that hurt. What does she have in there? Bricks?

"Then why Les asking me why you're in another pawn shop? Why did he not know where you were when you told me you were here… at work? Who's the other girl Seth?"

This is ridiculous. Going to another pawnshop is like cheating on my dad and the family business. It does not equate to me being with another woman. Not when I have the perfect woman at home. "There is _no _other girl!"

"_Don't you dare lie to me_!..." she suddenly stops and puts her hands to her belly. Immediately I go from being frustrated and angry to just plain scare and it gets worse when she starts to moan. "Oh…. Oh…"

A put a hand out to her. "What… what is it…"

Sabrina looks down to her dark sweat pants and then back up to me. "I think… I think my water just broke…"

I know I didn't hear what I think I just heard. "WHAT?!"

She is frantically looking around, rubbing her belly which is probably hurting her now. She sucks back another moan as I descend into panic. "Seth, my water broke… my water broke… oh oh dear…"

"Now? Are you serious? But that's early. That's like two weeks early!"

She turns her wide angry eyes onto me. "WELL IT'S HAPPENING NOW! SETH!"

"_But we're not ready!"_ I scream and then begin to pace. "Oh god, everything… everything's at home, the bag we packed for the hospital our fucking health cards… who's car do we take?"

Sabrina groaned and turned to my family who were all watching us with rapt interest. "Okay, Ashley, Lilli, Les, Bobby J… anybody. Help me please. Seth's essentially useless."

"No, no I got this," I cry, jumping over the counter and heading for the door. "To the car! To the car!"

I rushed out the door got to my car and pulled out of my spot before I realized that Sabrina wasn't with me. I pulled up to the front where they were waiting for me.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," my dad tells me as he helps Sabrina into the car. "Lilli's going to go back to the apartment and grab the bag, Ashley's agreed to check on Escobar until you guys are back."

Well that's everything covered then. I look at Sabrina who's wincing in pain as the contractions have, no doubt, started. We're about to have our baby.

* * *

Four hours of screaming, of handing my wife ice chips, and her squeezing my hand so hard I'm certain she's broken it, our baby is born. Sierra Catherine Gold is about two weeks early and a little under weight, sitting at 4.5 pounds and 15 inches. Though she's smaller than expected our doctor ensures that this normal and she's not unhealthy or in any danger.

She's taken away for a check up and I spend the rest of my time with Sabrina who is breathless and still going through the pains of after birth which I didn't not realize was a thing. By the time the whole process is done, Sabrina, who's already had a chance to hold our child, is out for the count and now it's my turn.

I stand in that little hospital room, where my wife is quietly sleeping, holding my daughter in my arms. She's so… she's so little and quiet. Other when she first came out, she hasn't made a single noise. I'm not stupid enough to think it'll always be like this. But for right now I'm just amazed that me and Sabrina made tiny perfect little human.

And I have like a million messages from my family who are all waiting to meet our baby too. So, with the nurse's permission, I head out to the waiting room where my family is waiting with Sierra in my arms.

"Hey guys," I say softly once I'm out there getting all of their attentions. "Come on over and meet Sierra Catherine Gold."

All of a sudden, I'm surrounded by family. Ashley and her husband are on one side looking in on her little face and my dad and mom or on the other. Everyone is cooing and awing at how pretty sure is and how beautiful. They ask me about Sabrina, and how Sierra is since she was born early. I answer all of their questions and then everyone starts asking how we picked the names and when they get to hold her but I don't want to let go of my daughter just yet.

So, while my mom and Ashley argue over who gets to hold Sierra first my dad approaches me. He looks sheepish and I wonder if he'll take the distraction as a chance to hold Sierra first.

Instead he says: "I just want to say… that if you explain to me what happened, I'm sure I'll be able to forgive you…"

I groan at can't be serious right now. "Dad, we're going to do this now, right now? With Sierra, your granddaughter, in my arms?"

He shrugs at me. "I'm just saying…"

I sigh, my god he's never going to let this go, and since I plan to be off for the first little while to be with Sabrina and Sierra, I might as well get it over now. "You wanna know what I was doing there?" I ask him and he nods. "I was consulting, alright? I'm getting paid to tell other people how to run their business."

"You're selling our trade secrets?"

"No, because you won't implement what I'm teaching in the store!" I cry and my dad is slightly taken aback. The only thing that reels me back in is that my daughter starts to fuss in my arms. "Look today is a happy day. My daughter was just born, you wanna be mad at me, you can be mad at me. But the only reason I was doing it for the extra income, alright? I had a child on the way who is now here and I needed the extra cash, alright? Is that good enough for you?"

In my arms my daughter continues to fuss and I look down to make sure that it isn't my raised voice that's upsetting her. I bounce her a little bit like I saw Ashley doing with her kids and that calms her right down.

When I look up again my dad has softened. "Look, it's family or nothing, you need more money I'll give you a raise. Talk to me, not our competitors."

I shake my head. "Alright dad. Alright, do you wanna hold your granddaughter or do you wanna argue?"

"No, no I want to hold her."

"Then shut up and take her, dad."

He takes my daughter into my arms and looks down at her chubby little face, I can already see so much of Sabrina and me in her. God I hope she grows into those giant ears of hers. But honestly, I'm just so amazed that I helped back something so damn perfect.


	28. Chapter 28

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! We got another update here and it's supposed to be a cute one so hopefully you guys enjoy it. As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 28

* * *

There were a lot of changes now that we were parents.

For starters, Sierra cried non-stop. And when she wasn't crying, she was eating, or pooping but she rarely slept. Which was annoying as shit, cause all we wanted to do was sleep.

Escobar had decided that he was her protector, so he slept under her crib, followed her where ever she went and he always had a disapproving glare for us when we took too long to get to her when she cried.

Sabrina hadn't been worried about Escobar at all but I had been. I heard all these stories about cats getting jealous of babies and scratching them or worse smothering them. Escobar hadn't ever liked me, he had gotten better with me now that he lives with me and Reenie, but I had my doubts that he'd treat my progeny any kinder than he had treated me.

He had proved me wrong.

I had also proved how wrong I was about me too, because I was pretty sure that I was ready to be a father. But we're two months in and I was always crabby and cranky and I was longing to go back to work. Should I have wanted to leave my wife and my newborn so shortly? No. I felt like shit for wanting it so bad.

But it's four in the morning and Sierra is screaming like she wasn't just up an hour ago. Screaming like we don't feed her at all. Screaming like we've been hurting her.

The first few times she did it, yeah, my heart hurt, and I ran right to her side to see what was wrong. But we're a month in and I just want to sleep through the night.

Beside me Sabrina groans, and I know it's my turn to get her but I'm not moving. Sabrina rolls over and slaps my shoulder. "It's your turn."

"She's hungry. She's gonna want you."

"I _just_ fed her Seth. It's _your_ turn!"

Oh my god, who would have thought I'd want to murder my own baby? I get out of the bed and go to my daughter's room. As per usual Escobar is sitting in the doorway his disappointed stare trained on me.

"What are you looking at?"

He merely turns his nose up on me and walks away disappearing into the shadows. I reach into the crib, pulling my daughter up into my arms. Her eyes are still blue, but she has another 4 months before they stay that way, there's still a chance they'll go green like Sabrina's.

As soon as she's in my arms she's less screamy and more fussy. Her little hands grip my shirt and her little blue eyes focuses in on me. I bounce her up and down and I swear I see a half smile on her face. Then she takes this huge deep breath and starts screaming again.

My smile fell and went about the checklist. Was her diaper heavy? No. Did it smell? No. I check for any wetness and no, none there. I see nothing that could have upset her in her crib, though I try to tuck her back in. She pauses in crying to spitefully kick her blanket off of her and then she starts to scream again.

Yep. She's hungry.

I pick her up again and she stops crying once more this time to grab my ear to yank it down to her so she can scream right into my ear. Wow, she already has Sabrina's spiteful nature, though a little bit of whatever traits were dormant in the Gold's that gave Ashley her attitude might be at play here too. God, I hope she doesn't end up like Ashley when she's older.

I take her to our bedroom where my wife, the mother of my child and the love of my life has managed to fall back asleep. I don't have to say anything, I don't even have to touch her, as soon as she hears that the screaming is in our room she groans.

"Aw, Seth!"

"She's hungry, Reenie, she's hungry."

"I swear to god, Seth, if I pick that girl up and bounce her to sleep, I will come back in here with her heaviest toy and I will brain you with it, you got me?"

I almost don't want to hand her our child, cause if I'm wrong, I don't think for a second that she won't actually hit me something.

But she gets up, takes her out of my arms, rests her on shoulder and then bounces her for second and she almost calms down before she starts to whine. I call this the calm before the storm, the sound before the wail. She's gearing up to really hit us with a big one, but Sabrina puts a hand to the back of her head and starts to hush her. That combined with the bouncing has her quieted down.

Sabrina's glare should put the fear of god into me, but instead I find myself frowning. How am I so bad at this?

"I did that, I swear."

The implication is there. That Sierra didn't want her dad she only wanted her mom, or I was just holding her wrong.

God. How was I already so fucking bad at this, it… it made no sense. I look back to Sabrina, the fucking natural mother, as she sleepily rocks our baby.

"I think… I think today I should go into work. Make sure Ashley hasn't chased all our customers away."

Sabrina's eyes open and the look is not a positive one. "Excuse me?"

"I… I… I want to go to work Reenie. I know I'm supposed to have time off, but… I unno, I haven't been away from the store this long before. You know what my family is like."

"You're going to leave me alone… with our new born…"

"She's two months old, Reenie, she's hardly freshly minted, you know?"

"So, you get to go out and be an adult and you're going to stick me here alone with the crying and the diapers and the… come on, Seth, I haven't slept right in days!"

It was true, she hadn't. "And you think I have? You think I'm going to have fun? Ashley's got nothing but attitude, my dad's insane, I bet they've filled the shop with junk! Just one day. One day Reenie and if it's as bad as you think it's gonna be, I won't go back, okay?"

Reenie groans. "Fine, but you're taking Sierra, and I'm getting some kind of sleep before you have to leave."

Okay. I can do this. I can get ready for work while I have a baby in my arms. Right? Right? God let me be right.

* * *

**Seth: Yeah, getting out of the house with a crying baby and an angry wife seeing me off had been both a blessing and a curse. She was really mad and I was going to catch hell but I needed to go somewhere where I would be useful, where I was good at what I did. Was that too much to ask? **

**However, when I got there, I found that the internet sales were down, apparently, since I had been off a month, no one had picked new items to go online. Then you know, when I asked for help, my dad put Ashley in charge while I was gone. So, you know… great. When I got home, Sabrina was mad, and to make up for it she got to go shopping and _I _was left alone with the baby. She got a whole shopping/spa day experience with my mom. It was everything she needed. She came back fresher, happier and glowing. And since I had managed to get Sierra to nap I was rewarded with sex. Our first time since the baby was born.**

**In return I get to go back to work the following week, just for one day and I find out that Ashley sold our Olympic torch and the sucker is missing in transit. Not what I needed. **

**After that I knew I couldn't just… not be at the office. Not with Ashley going through my stuff like she owned it and losing things. I told Sabrina this and she was… she was okay with it. She said that while she missed me and wanted me with her, things actually went much smoother when I was at work. Like she got Sierra to nap longer, she had more time to clean.**

**Sabrina had sensed that this distressed me and demanded I only go back part-time. 2-3 days a week tops. I'm allowed to go to work to clear up the Torch issue tomorrow but then she wants me home the rest of the week so she can get all the time with me she can before I start going to work again.**

**But I still felt like I wasn't needed at all and that was not a good feeling to have.**

* * *

I came into the office to find that Ashley was at her desk. I walked over to find her on the phone. So I immediately smile at her and then interrupt her phone conversation. She's annoyed, I can tell but I don't care.

She finally hangs up the phone and glares at me.

"Where's the torch Ashley?"

"That was just them. They have the dimensions of the box and they'll get back to me by six."

"You better find it, Ash," I growl. I drop my bag into my office and then sent a quick text to Sabrina who has already sent me three pictures of Sierra. God, I missed them already. Maybe I shouldn't have come back to work.

But I force myself to let go of that self doubt and go to work. Which was how I came across the family in hard times. Selling their uncle's guitars to save their house. I took the guitars, gave them what I thought was a fair price and would sort of help them out, and then went about with my day.

I showed my dad the guitars, cause I was proud at the sale I got and he told me to check out the serial number inside the guitar. That would tell me what the value of the two guitars would be.

And it was astronomical. These two vintage guitars were worth so much more than I anticipated. I actually might have undersold them. And of course that made me feel bad. The woman had been in here crying because she didn't want to sell what was left of her uncle but she needed to because if she didn't she was going to lose her house. She was the sole caregiver for her elderly father, it was tough, and normally I wouldn't buy the sob story but for some reason, this woman, I could just tell that she wasn't lying.

So I called them up. Told them to come back. And gave them an extra thousand dollars on top of that. I had never seen anyone be that grateful. Like actually properly thankful.

And that was enough to remind me why I liked being at work, it gave me a story to tell Sabrina, one that would make her proud of me. It was enough to make me happy… until I found out what happened to the Torch.

* * *

Seth called a meeting at the end of the day. Originally, I assumed that he just wanted to show us more pictures of Sierra, but he surprised me. He had us all sit down around my desk but instead of pulling out his phone he turns to Ashely with a firm glare and says: "Okay, Ashley, tell dad about the torch."

Torch? What torch?

Ashley shoots him a death glare but with a sigh she turns to me and says: "I took the Torch out of Seth's office…"

"Which torch?"

"The Olympic Torch. She took the Olympic Torch."

Ashley nods. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyway… I sold it online."

Well that sounds like a good thing, why was Seth mad?

"And?" he prompts.

"And… well… after I sent it out for shipping I… it got lost."

Well that wasn't good, but I know that things get lost in the mail and it's usually pretty easy to find them.

"Okay I?" I ask. There has to be more.

"Well, Ashley, tell us what happened to the Torch."

She's shooting daggers at her brother, and it takes a lot of effort for her to admit: "It was destroyed."

Well holy shit. Now we have to refund money, we'll have an unhappy customer, and worst of all this will really affect our reputation.

"I said I was sorry Seth. I'll pay back the money myself!"

Seth, ever practical and vindictive, turns back to me. "I want her out of my IT department. I'm going to appoint one of the back-room guys to help with what to sell and Dad, I want _you_ to help with pricing. Just until I'm back full time."

"You're the one that wanted another manager to help you with this," I remind him and he nods.

"Yes, and I want it to be Sabrina when she comes back."

Why am I surprised?

"And you think she can handle it?"

"Yes. And I know she won't grab anything out of my office or ship it without my permission!"

It's a low blow but I let him have it. "Alright, there you go Ash, now you don't have to worry about spreading yourself too thin."

Ashley shoots ups both unimpressed glares and is half out the door when I get to the topic I' really more interested in. "So… any new pictures today?"

Seth immediately goes for his phone and Ashley stops storming away to come back, because mad or not, she too loves seeing pictures of Sierra. I just love getting updates about my newest granddaughter.

* * *

I get home to find Sabrina asleep on the couch with Sierra propped up against her chest and sleeping too. On Sabrina's lap is Escobar and he has his head resting against Sierra's butt. His narrowed eyes follow me as I walk through the house. It's a judgemental glare, a _why did you leave them all alone_ look.

A look I deserve, but I'll be damned before I let a cat shame me like that. I drop everything off into our room, head into the kitchen to put a frozen pizza in the oven and turn on the kettle for Sabrina. After that I sit myself down beside her and then try to take Sierra from Sabrina only to be bitten by Escobar.

Yeah, he really didn't like it when I tried to pick up or take Sierra away.

My yelp wakes up both my wife and my daughter. And immediately Sierra starts to fuss, one of her little hands reaching out for me.

"Here she wants you," she says and then deposits my daughter into my arms. Sierra grabs a fist full of my black shirt and in the other fist she has my hair. Those big blue eyes staring at me.

Sabrina gets up, which leaves Escobar to climb into my lap. It's the first time he's done that too, and even though I know he's doing it to be close Sierra, to finally have that cat that hates me so vehemently in my lap purring was enough to put tears into my eyes. For the first time since leaving the house today I'm absolutely grinning.

"So how was work?"

"I uh… I did two things today. Something that will make you proud."

"Oh yeah? Tell me all about it."

She's making herself tea and getting me a beer, this woman, damn she knows me. As she bends over to check my pizza in the oven, I start my tale.

"Well, I had two people come in today. A daughter who's been taking care of her dad and they're about to lose their house."

"Oh, oh no!"

"I know right? Anyway, they bring me these two guitars, and they're old, like really old. They belonged to her uncle, he died a few years back. They want to sell the guitars to get money to save their house. I couldn't give them the full 3500 they wanted, so I give them the best I can do which is about 2000."

"Well that's nice of you."

"Yeah, I really felt for them, you know. So I give them the money, I take their guitars and then I do some research. Turns out these guitars are worth a fortune, and I feel guilty cause I feel like I didn't give them the right amount, right? So what do you think I did?"

"I unno, I bet you did something amazingly kind."

"I did, I called them back in and gave them another thousand dollars."

She came back around the counter with her tea and my beer. She leans in to kiss my cheek. "Aw my baby. You are just so damn generous you know that."

I pull her down so she can kiss me properly. "Did I make you proud?"

"You always make me proud baby." She straightens only to drop into the corner of the couch to get all comfortable before asking: "So what was the other thing?"

I take a sip of my beer and nod. "So, while I was gone I noticed that sales went down in my internet section, because I wasn't there they weren't pulling more items to sell. So, I asked my dad to let me hire a part-time manager to help me while I'm off…"

"He gave you Ashley right."

"Yes, he did. Anyway, while I was off last week, she took the Olympic Torch out of my office and sold it and shipped it without telling me." So far, she's nodding along with the story. She doesn't interrupt me either, she seems to understand that there is obviously more to this story than Ashley taking a piece of American history out of my office that I sort of wanted to keep it myself. "Any, yesterday we get this call, right, that the torch never arrived."

"Oh no."

"Yeah, so Ashley went looking for it, and they…"

"Did they find it?"

"Yeah, I was getting to that part, Reenie. They figured out that since it was a flammable hazard and we hadn't shipped it right. It had been destroyed."

"No! Really? Aw… that's… that's terrible!" she cries and then she pauses. "Wait… I thought this was another story to make me proud."

"Oh, it will. Anyway, I told dad what happened and then told him what I want to do."

"Which is what?"

"That until I'm back full time, one of the IT guys will pull products, and dad will set the price."

"But what about when you're back full time? Won't you still need help?"

"Yes, yes I will, which is why I nominated, you."

"Me?"

"Yep, as soon as you're back you're going to be a manager. You'll be helping me pick items and sell them online. You're also still my executive assistant cause I know you like organizing my life."

Sabrina smiles, her grin a mile wide. "Wow, really? You said I wasn't cut out for the pawn life."

"Well you're married into now it, babe, so you're kind of stuck in the pawn life. But I figure, if you're there with me, babe, it won't be so dangerous for you. But uh… please don't take customers on yourself."

Sabrina smiles again, she puts her mug down on the table and then leans over to kiss me again. "Aw, babe, you're so good to me." She bites her lip at me and then whispers: "If you put Sierra in her crib… and you promise to be very, _very_ quiet, maybe we can get some… me and you time?"

Disregarding Escobar who is still on my lap, I get up, getting the cat to jump to the ground. I move towards Sierra's room to put her down, as Sabrina goes to the kitchen to turn the oven off. We haven't had _me and you_ time since Sierra was born and even though we literally just had some a few days ago, I'm not about to pass up this opportunity.


	29. Chapter 29

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! So we have a short but cute chapter. Some more drama from the episodes. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter. As usual don't forget to leave a review, or a follow or a fav and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 29

* * *

In less than a week I'll be leaving my precious daughter with her grandmother on a daily basis while I return to work as my husband's assistant and at my new position as the manager of the online section of the Pawnshop. Well co-manager with Seth.

I'm super excited to be promoted up to Manager, super excited to go back to work but I'm not that excited to being leaving my daughter. I can't help it, she's only six months old after all. I know it's early and I should wait at the very least another three months, but I can tell that Seth is stressing about money, even though he hasn't said anything to me about it, and in turn it's starting to stress me.

It's only going to be part time to begin with, 3 days max if I feel up to it, but I still feel bad.

So, I've been spending a lot of time with Sierra to make up for what I think she'll probably perceive as an abandonment.

I've taken her to the zoo, to the museum, to the art gallery, to the Brigg's family carousel to show her where her daddy and I had our first kiss and Daddy first fell in love with me. Today I was taking her to American Jewelry and Loan to show her where Daddy, Grandpa Les, Aunt Ashley and I worked.

Sierra was starting to look more and more like Seth as she grew. Her eyes never went green but stayed as blue as her father's. She had Seth thin brown hair growing like a weed on top of her head. She even had his big goofy ears, and while right now they were cute I really hoped she grew into them so she wasn't teased at school. Seth might have been able to brush it off but I knew how cruel little girls could be.

We walked into the pawnshop and already I can see Seth. He's with a customer but his eyes are on us. I wave then take Sierra's little hand and make her wave. There's a squeal and Aunty Ashley is coming to grab her niece with Grandpa Les following quickly behind.

"Look at this, three of my favourite girls are here today," he said taking Sierra from Ashley.

"Not that I don't love seeing my favourite niece but what are you guys doing here today?"

"We're just showing Sierra around. Thought she'd like to see the place that's gonna take up all of mommy and daddy's time."

Sierra is already a daddy's girl so I know the second she's spotted Seth because she immediately has one little pudgy hand reaching out in his direction and a squealing chain of babble is falling from her lips.

I know it will only be a matter of time before Seth has Sierra in his arms, it's all he ever does. His little girl raises her arms and he picks her up. The man hardly puts her down.

Seth comes around Les and takes Sierra from him, already she's babbling non-stop. As soon as she's in his arms her hands are in his hair. She loves holding onto people's hair, but she loves Seth's hair the most.

"What'cha doing here, Reenie?" he asks though his focus and eyes are on Sierra. I don't answer for a minute and instead watch him babble back at Sierra and made funny faces. God he was just so handsome sometimes it took my breath away. "She should have told me my girls were coming, isn't that right, Ra-Ra."

I didn't like that he calls her Ra-Ra, so I was hoping to break him of it, it hadn't worked yet and she was starting to respond to it.

"I brought Sierra to the place that's going to take her mommy away as soon as next week. I thought she might like to see why It was so important."

Seth sighs heavily at me. "Aww, Reenie, it's only part-time, 3 days a week max," he reminds me but it doesn't hurt any less.

I pull Sierra out of his arms. "Me and Little Miss Sierra are going to go introduce ourselves to the staff in the back. Don't you have a customer to finish with?"

He glances back to the counter where the customer he was with is waiting patiently, and though I can tell he doesn't want to, he heads back to the counter. I head into the back, where I can already see some of the staff lining up to meet the newest Gold, with Les and Ashley following me.

* * *

**Sabrina: The first week I'm back is trying. I can tell by the way the internet people stare at me when I ask them to do things for me that they don't want me bossing them around. I hate to admit it but I'm pretty sure they think that that only reason I'm Manager because I'm married to Seth, and maybe that was true but I'm pretty good at my job, or I'm trying to be. **

**So, on my third day, when Seth left me in charge while he went to get us lunch, I made a rash decision. **

**This lot became available and it had all these amazing sports cards in it, the tech who was looking at it told me it was a very, very big deal, so I had no choice but to bid on it. I said that the price had to be below 8 grand, since he said the lot was worth at the very least, 10 grand. But when the bid went in at 7 grand, I didn't feel better. I was worried that, as a Gold by marriage, Les wouldn't be as forgiving of me spending that kind of money if I didn't make it back. So the second that Seth came back I went to him to help me. **

* * *

I'm only back in the shop for five minutes, I've just dropped off my dad and Ashley's lunch which I was kind enough to pick up, when disaster strikes. Sabrina and I had planned to eat our lunch together in my office so I'm not surprised when I get there and she's already in my office, but I can tell by the look on her face that she's upset about something. I've only been gone forty-five minutes. I can't even begin to fathom what could have gone wrong in that short amount of time.

But I join her in my office shut the door hand her the bag with our burritos in it and then give her my serious stare.

"What's wrong with you? You've got that_ I messed up_ look on your face."

Sabrina turns back to me a frown on her face. "I… I don't know… I made a quick decision and I think it might be a problem."

"Okay walk me through it."

"Okay, so Joe found a 900 card lot, and they were showcasing the best cards and I mean, I don't know about these things but he said they were heavy shit. Well… the bidding was going to end in five minutes so… I told him to bid…"

"Okay… how much were they going for?"

"6 grand."

Dear lord. I try to keep my face passive. "And we got them for?"

"Seven."

Seven grand?! Jesus. What kind of cards were in that fucking lot?

"See your face… that's not a good face."

"7 grand on cards, Reenie, did you talk my dad through it before you did it?"

"No, we didn't have the time…"

"Okay so he's going to see a surprise purchase on the company credit card. That's what I'm hearing."

Sabrina hung her head. I knew she was out of sorts at that moment. She had this irrational fear that the back IT guys weren't taking her seriously but I knew that couldn't be true. None of them would disrespect my wife like that.

"God, what kind of cards where they showcasing to make you think it was worth it… when you know nothing about cards."

"Uhm… and Michael Jordan autograph. Uhm Magic Johnson one v. one jersey. Some Babe Ruth relic card…"

None of that makes sense to me, mainly because she has no idea what she's talking about so she's gotta be saying words that make no sense to her. She must just have them wrong. But if it's what I think it might be, she might have hit the jackpot.

"Alright, start eating, I'm going to talk to Joe, see what it is he bid on, I'll be back. Don't panic and don't tell my dad yet."

I leave her in the office not sure how I'm going to save my wife from this, just that I know I'll take the blame if I have to. Anything to make sure she wasn't the one my dad yelled at.

* * *

**Seth: My baby really did hit the Jackpot. The cards that she saw were a Michael Jordan autographed card. Magic Johnson one of one jersey card. Babe ruth dual relic one of five. The card has a piece of jersey and a piece of his pants. She clearly had no idea how amazing this lot was, but she had taken Joe's instinct and capitalized on it. If those were only some of the cards I couldn't wait to see what the other 900 cards would be. But I couldn't tell my dad simply because he wouldn't understand, and she hadn't gone to him for permission first. I just had to hope that he'd find out after I managed to sell some of the cards and get some of our money back. **

**Les: My son was an idiot if he thought I wouldn't notice a seven-thousand-dollar charge on the store credit card. Baseball and basketball cards, he said when I confronted him about it. Well I wasn't happy so I gave him a week to get rid of the lot or he'd be paying me back for all the money I was missing. **

* * *

I was livid. Absolutely livid that Les gave us only a week to offload those cards. We definitely needed more time than that. I wanted to talk to Les but Seth wouldn't tell me. He just kept saying that he was going to take the blame cause he could handle Les yelling at him where as I couldn't. Which was true, I was probably liable to cry.

But at that moment, we were on the hook to pay for the cards ourselves and we couldn't afford to pay the difference, not with a baby that grew out of everything by the end of every week.

We were on our last day and Seth had a man coming in who was going to buy the whole lot. He was a little disappointed because they were probably going to lose a lot of profit selling them all at once instead of if he had been given the time to sell them all at once, but it was that or we owed Les money.

Seth had gotten so desperate that he started calling people and sending emails out to collectors to see if they were interested. Which worked great because they found a guy.

That afternoon, I followed Seth out onto the sales floor to the Sport Memorabilia counter. Joe lead the way with the box of cards to where the guy, Matt, was waiting for them.

We all shook hands and then I got to sit back and watch my baby work.

"I've got he opportunity for you to own something that I guarantee you have never seen before," he tells the guy and then he starts listing these cards. And Matt, well let's just say Matt's eyes lit up, he definitely hadn't see half of these cards before.

I could tell that he was going to buy them, I just knew it. We just had to get a good deal.

As soon as we were done wowing him, Matt asks: "What are you looking to get out of all these cards?"

And this was the kicker cause we were looking for a lot. "Right. I'm looking to get about 18 thousand."

He echoes the price looks at the cards a little longer and then says: "I was looking to spend somewhere between 3 to 4 thousand today."

And that is no where close to where we need it to be. He even has the nerve to ask: "What do you think?"

Seth shakes his head. "Four thousand dollars is just way too low." He picks up the card with the two pieces of fabric in it. "I mean this alone is going to be between five to seven hundred bucks."

Matt seems to take this in as Seth begins to outline how much all of these cards would go for if he sold them off piecemeal and once again I'm annoyed that Les put us in this position just because he was upset I didn't ask him first.

It would have taken me five minutes just to explain what we were bidding on, and I wouldn't have been able to accurately describe how good the deal was.

"We're a little far apart I think."

_Yeah, no shit, Matt_. But I don't say that to him. That would be rude and I'm trying super hard to be nice.

He asks if Seth can meet him somewhere in the middle and he obliges with maybe, 16 thousand dollars. But that's not enough either. He then asks if Seth can do better than 16 like maybe seven thousand and Seth practically moans. Yeah that price isn't going to do it for us either. I put a hand to his arm, just to show him that I'm supporting him and hit him with my apologetic eyes because it's my fault we're even in this mess.

Seth I quiet a minute but finally he says: "14 thousand." And then reminds Matt that we have 800 cards in that lot and the ones he was showing him add up to 4000 dollars right there, and that was just the first ten of the bunch.

"I'm thinking 12 may be a good number."

Ohh, would that be a good number? I'd take that number. Seth dithers a bit, he glances back to where Les is hovering over by furs and then he takes the deal. He shakes Matt's hand and I shake his hand too, and then Les comes over to thank Matt and tells him that he just saved Seth's ass. Like it was any of his business.

As they head to the ticket counter to take payment, I can hear Les harping on my wonderful Seth.

"You know Les… I was the one who bought the lot. I didn't have time to come ask you… I trusted my gut and Seth took the blame so you wouldn't yell at me," I tell him and Les smiles at me.

"Well Damn, Reenie, that was one hell of a good call! I'm surprised you knew anything about cards in the first place," he says and then walks away. I glance to Seth who looks livid by that response and I feel for him.

I don't know if it was because we made a profit on the lot that had him in a good mood, but I knew, from now on I was just going to come clean with Les right away.


	30. Chapter 30

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! We got another surprise coming in this chapter. I'm hoping you guys are enjoying all the cute fluffy moments cause we've got a lot of them coming up. As always don't forget to leave a review, or a fav or a follow and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 30

* * *

We don't pick up Sierra after work like we're supposed to do all the time. Sometimes we're late. On purpose.

That's a terribly wicked thing for us to do that but we have been enjoying sneaking off for some adult alone time. Seeing as we get so very little of it and her grandmother _loves_ to babysit. She was always fussing about giving her back at the end of the day.

I unno what's going on with me, but I've been all over Seth lately, which means on our ride home we've been taking detours to that park we used to fool around in when we were in high school and getting hot and heavy in the car.

It's so reminiscent of how I lost my virginity to him that… I unno…maybe it's bringing back memories, but it really, really gets me going.

And Seth _never_ turns down sex with me.

He let's me mount him in the back and in a few short minutes—not because my man can't keep up, he can, we're just the masters of a quicky by now—we're hot, heavy, sticky and spent.

We even have time for a round two, which he more than happily obliges me to, before we head to his parent's place to pick up our daughter.

We can't help but shoot smirks at one another while we're driving back from his parent's house. We have decided that the best way to stay out of arguments is to rotate the duties. Today it's Seth's turn to get Sierra's dinner ready, then get her bathed and put to bed. My job is to make dinner for us and then it would be my job to do the dishes.

So, while we mill around our apartment doing our separate chores, we trade stories from the day. I tell him about the things we put online and sold, he tells me about life on the sales floor. Being his personal assistant/online manager keeps me off the sales floor most of the time, which I think Seth did on purpose because he doesn't want me out where people can yell at me.

I don't want to argue with him and ruin the thing we've had going for us over the last month or so I've said nothing about it. And really, I don't mind that I don't have to be on the floor. Sure, I have the best customer service skills in the store, but it doesn't mean that I want to be on the floor with people who are going to yell at me.

By the time that he's done feeding Sierra, who's now on baby food, I have our spaghetti done. I tell him that I'll keep our food warm as he goes to get our daughter washed up and ready for bed. But I end up eating my plate while I'm waiting and, by the time he comes back, I've helped myself to seconds.

"Mmm, someone's hungry today," he says as he sits down at the able. "She's in the crib but she's not asleep yet, I'm hoping she'll fall asleep soon."

I simply smile at my beautiful wonderful husband and once again my mind wanders to other things. More namely jumping Seth and demanding he take me right there in the kitchen. But he's eating and I don't want to distract him.

So, while he eats and he tells me about all the cute things our daughter did, and all the naughty things she got up to while he was trying to change her into PJs, I start putting my dishes in the sink. Might as well get them washed up now so that we can move on to better things for the rest of the night though I'm certain he wants to sleep.

Seth's story about changing is long because Sierra hates being in her onesies, she wanted to be naked all the time. Seth was starting to worry she might be a stripper with how often he's found her trying to take her clothes off.

I get my dishes done, the pots are still soaking, but the one with the pasta is already out and drying on the rack. I go to my husband and start to massage his stiff shoulders while he eats. He groans into his meal as I continue to work my fingers into his shoulder blades. He's working so hard lately, still a few more days than me and I just want him to know that he's appreciated and loved.

But those groans remind me of the car, because they're the same noises he makes when I'm grinding into him, taking all that he has to offer, because sinking into me is the best feeling in the world. Or so he says. I'm inclined to believe him.

Though I've told myself I wasn't going to do it, I find myself draped across the back of him, my arms around his neck as I press kisses to his cheek and jaw line. His hand comes up as he arches back so he can keep me in one place so he can kiss me solidly. And once his lips are on mine I know I'm going to get my way.

Before I can swing into his lap, Seth is standing and herding me towards the counters. His mouth doesn't leave mine but our hands are frantically tugging at our clothes. I'm working on his pants, he's working on pushing the skirt of my dress up so he can get better access to me so he can get at my panties.

For a second he's chuckles and I stop kissing him.

"What's so funny?" I ask him and he just smiles happily up at me. He always gets a little distracted when we're fucking so I'm not surprised that he's confused for a second. But then he's shaking his head.

"God, not that I'm complaining, but you haven't been this horny since you were pregnant," he says to me and I scowl and hit him.

"Don't you even joke," I say to him and he smiles. Instead of answering me he just slams his body up and into me and I get lost in him. My perfect, wonderful husband, I can never get enough of him.

* * *

**Sabrina: There's something about what Seth last night that gets me thinking. He's right, I haven't been this horny since I was pregnant with Sierra. And now that I think about it, I'm not sure when my last period was. Then this morning I threw up and while I'm like half positive that I probably just have the stomach flu… what if I don't? So, I go to the drug store to get a test, but this can't be happening again, it just… can't. And if it is… god I have no idea what we're going to do. **

* * *

Sabrina wasn't feeling well that morning, so to give her a day off, I take Sierra to my parents. I also want to make sure that Sierra doesn't catch anything that Sabrina might have caught, but I also want Sabrina to have a break. She's such a good mom, and a good wife, and good at her job, that I just know she's probably working herself to the bone and I don't want to Sabrina to run herself ragged.

I keep texting her, not because I don't trust her but because I miss her. I miss her and I _want_ her. I've gotten used to car sex at a certain time every day and knowing that I won't get it today is fucking with me something hard.

Not that I want to make my sick wife have sex with me, I want her to feel better, obviously. Doesn't mean that I can't tell her that I miss her and that I want her and that I can't wait to come home and dote on her. And if she's feeling up to it, maybe I can give her little more than just medicine.

But I haven't heard from Sabrina in a while and that makes me nervous. Granted she's probably sleeping but I can't help but worry. What if something's really wrong?

I tell myself I haven't heard from her by lunch I'm going to go home on my break just to make sure she's okay, but it turns out I don't have to worry about that.

Sierra shows up just before my lunch break. Her face is a terrible red color and she's bearing down on me in the sport's section with this fiery angry look about her. I can't for the life of me figure out what she could mad at me about so I just stand there like a deer in the headlights wondering if I could call security on her.

It wouldn't help, because Sabrina and I live together, so coming home would not go well later tonight.

When she gets to me, I ask her what's going on, but she just takes something out of her purse and slams it onto the display case.

I look at it and then back up to her, pretty sure I know what it is, but my mind can't comprehend it at that moment. It's kind of gone blank in panic. So I point at it. "What is that?"

"It's a pregnancy test."

I had a feeling it was, but why the fuck was it on the display case?

"And yes, don't bother looking, it's _positive_!" she shrieks and my eyes widen. "You got me pregnant. _AGAIN_!"

"What?!"

I was supposed to say that in my head but it came out of my mouth instead, but I can't help it because we already have one and we weren't planning for two, not this soon anyway, so now I'm panicking.

"I'm _pregnant_, Seth!" she cries and I notice that she had tears in her eyes. "I'm pregnant and I'm freaking out. How are we going to afford to raise two? How are we going to have two kids in that apartment?"

Without a second thought, I've jumped over the display case so I can wrap her up in my arms. "Babe, babe," I say softly, knowing that I'll have to keep my wits about myself I want her not to panic. "We're going to have another baby! This is so exciting!"

"But… but…"

"No, don't you worry about any of that. We are going to be fine, and do you know why?" Sabrina shook her head and I take her face in my hands so she can look into my eyes and see that I mean everything I'm about to say. "We're going to be okay, because I love you and you love me and we are going to _love_ this new baby more than anything."

Sabrina dons a shaky smile and I can see that I've assuaged any fears she might have had. Though I'm suspecting that while the fears were founded, they were mostly fueled by her hormones.

"I'm scared but I'm also like… super excited too. What do you think? This time we might have a boy!"

She breaks out in a weepy giggle and I laugh with her. I don't care if it's a boy or girl, I'll be happy with anything. I'm just happy that she's not freaking out anymore, and I'm more than positive that it's her the hormones affecting her early, cause that would explain why she was so damn horny all of a sudden.

As I hug her, I notice that my dad and sister are heading towards us. I will have to tell them that a new baby is on the way, but until then I'm just going to hold onto her and not worry.

Fuck my virile body, fuck her extremely fertile ovaries. Well, it was too late to be careful now, now I was just going to have to be happy.


	31. Chapter 31

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello there my wonderful readers. I'm sorry this chapter is so late. I will do my best to get the chapter up on time next week, I'm just dealing with a lot of stuff right now. This chapter, however, is super cute, or at least I tried to make it cute. As always don't forget to leave a review or a fav or a follow and I'll see you guys on Sunday, hopefully. _

Chapter 31

* * *

**Ashley: Seth has been working overtime, which is annoying me. But, with Sabrina 4 months pregnant with his second kid and both of them worried about money, I get it. What I don't like is Sabrina's sudden willingness to take over everything. Yes it's because she's worried about money but come on, she can't be the manager of everything. She's Seth's Assistant and his Co-Manager for the Internet side. That should be enough. **

**But now that she's pregnant and worried she's suddenly trying to muscle everyone out of their jobs. She actually covered a shift for one of our front window girls. Seth nearly lost his shit. We had to call an emergency replacement and pay them overtime to come and take her spot cause he wasn't going to leave her there to get shouted abuse by our crazy customers. It was insane. **

**Recently my dad and I have been arguing about a stainless-steel purchase he made. It's my fault for cancelling the semi worth of TVs he had bought from a wholesaler, because it opened up more of an issue for me, but I've told him repeatedly that I'm not going to sell this stainless-steel. I'm just not. And every time I say that, Sabrina offers her services. **

**Now that really pisses me off. Because she should have my back instead of undermining me, and what the hell is going to happen when she goes on maternity leave? Huh? What then? Who's it going to fall to in five months when she has this second kid? Me. And I've already said I'm not doing it. **

**My dad keeps telling me not to worry about it, but I'm telling you, if he gives Sabrina manager of the stainless-steel department, I'm going to fucking lose it.**

* * *

I'm at my usual post when my cousin Karen comes in and makes a beeline for me. I actually like our cousin Karen. She was close to my age and we always got along. I was a little surprised to see her in our Pawnshop, though, but I wasn't going to complain.

I hug Karen and then ask: "What are you doing here?"

"Your dad didn't tell you? I'm the new manager of the stainless-steel department. I'm gonna be working with you."

That's the thing about Karen. She's always smiling, she's bubbling and happy and while that's great at family functions I know it's gonna get on my nerves here. And what, because I didn't want to deal with my dad and stainless-steel purchase, he's just going take to half my department and give it to this… okay I can't say stranger cause she's technically family.

God now I kinda wish it had gone to Sabrina. At least if it had gone to Sabrina I could bully her into giving it back to me so I could throw all that shit in the garbage.

I turn on my dad quickly. "You brought someone in to run the jewelry department and you didn't even let me know?"

"You didn't wanna do it," he reminds me and I almost slap him across his face. I want to cry, I feel humiliated and I bet Seth and his precious Reenie knew all about it.

"We're gonna be a great team, Ash!" she cries and I can only glare at her. Dear god it's already happening, the annoying perkiness and positivity.

"Don't worry she's got you covered. Come on, let me show you the rest of the place," he said taking Karen as far away from me as he could. And if he was smart he'd kick her out of the store.

Seth comes up to hug her as my dad leads her away. "Did you know about this?" I hiss my tone conveying my accusation.

Seth just smiles. "Have fun with that Ashley," he taunts walking away from me because I know he doesn't want to deal with me. "Anything else you don't want to run? We'll bring in more people."

I scowl at him as he walks across the store. Oh, I'm gonna make sure that they regret this.

* * *

**Sabrina: Seth doesn't want to know the sex of our next baby, Sierra was a surprise too, and he wants to keep up the tradition. And that is perfectly fine. Except… I know… and now I'm excited. I know if I let it slip to any of his family, they'll tell him and then he'll be upset and I don't want to do that to him. So when I arrive at the shop I'm expecting to have trouble to keep my secret to myself. Turns out that I don't have to, because Ashley's in such a mood that she can't think or talk about the betrayal of having Karen join the team. **

**Personally, I don't care. I like Karen and Ashley has been bitching about the stainless-steel for months, now it wasn't her problem, just like she wanted. But it's the distraction I need so I'm going to hold onto it… for as long as I can. **

* * *

Sabrina has been acting squirrely since she came back from the doctor's office. Like avoiding me squirrely. Like mad at me squirrely and I can't think of why. Yes, she had a check up today and I had wanted to go, but we got busy at work and I couldn't. I asked a million times if she was really okay with going without me but she had said it was fine. Now apparently it wasn't. And I can't apologize because she won't talk to me.

I come back in from negotiating for a hot rod that I didn't end up buying and she's standing with Ashley. Ashley. Whom has been annoying her for weeks now over the stainless-steel purchase. When I left, she was giving Karen a full tour, and throwing in snarky comments, now she's standing with Karen and my wife and I can just tell that something's going on.

Usually Sabrina intervenes, but I can tell that things are getting a little heated over there and she just seems to be watching.

"It looks like… maybe we should bring the frames this way with the watches," Karen says to Ashley.

"Oh, Ashley… did you hear that?" Sabrina asks and she did because she was standing right there.

"I did thank you Sabrina," she says before turning that pissy face back to Karen. "That's a nice opinion, but our customers love frames, that's why they're over here. Don't get too over your heard."

"Ohh! Karen! Are you gonna take that disrespect?" Sabrina asks and I can see Karen's eyes narrow. Karen has always been a happy bubbly person, she rarely gets in people's faces, but now it looks like her and Ashley were gonna go at it.

What the hell? Why was my wife instigating an argument? Was this the hormones? Because that was new.

As a customer came up to talk to Ashley I pull Sabrina aside. "What the hell are you doing?"

She turns to be surprised as if she's forgotten I work here. She looks to me, slowly clamps her mouth shut and then turned back to the two girls. "Nothing?"

But now that I've seen her do that, the clamping of her mouth, I know that she's got a secret. I don't know what this secret is about but I know for some reason she doesn't want to tell me, which is hurtful. Usually she couldn't wait to tell me something. Unless it's something to do with me or something that would upset me.

"Okay, what are you hiding from me, spill it, now," I hiss and she gasps at me.

"Hiding something… I'm not…"

"Sabrina Gold, don't you lie to me."

Her face just dropped into a mouth open in shock. "How could you tell?"

"What do you mean how could I tell?" I hiss back. "I've known you since you were a sophomore. I know your faces, and you just made you _I don't wanna tell Seth this secret_ face!"

"Oh it's not fair," she snapped. "It's not fair that you know all my faces."

"I know all your faces cause I love you. And you don't keep secrets for the one you love."

"You do if you're cheating."

That is not a funny joke to be making when she's literally pregnant with my child right now. She takes in my dry glare and I can tell, she's about to tell me what she's actually keeping from me, cause I know she's not cheating when suddenly Karen's voice cuts through our conversation.

"Excuse me guys, I think I can help you over here."

And then we're both watching as she leads the customer to her stainless-steel department. What just happened? Did she just…

But before I can even form the thought Sabrina suddenly says: "Did she just steal those customers from you?"

And just like that I know she's caused a problem. Because Ashley's nostrils flare and then as she's watching her serve the boys that Ashley had riled up. But not only did Karen get them to calm down but she gives them a discount.

"See that, Ashley she calmed them down and kept their business," Les says which just adds fuel to Ashely's fire. Ashley seems far from pleased, in fact she looks downright pissed. "Good job Karen."

Karen hits them with a thanks and then smiles at Ashley as if expecting her to say something back. Instead she says: "You better not do that again."

"Do what?" Karen asks her legitimately confused.

"You know exactly what you did," she snarls before storming away.

We're lucky that's all it was. Ashley would have screamed at me for less, but this is Karen, and she's just a cousin and she no doubt wants to still play somewhat nice with her.

I, on the other hand, go straight to Sabrina. "My office, now."

Though she groans she does at least follow me, and one I get her in the office I shut the door and then turn on her.

"Alright, what did Ashley do or say about me?" I ask her because it's the only think I could think that she'd be hiding from me. It would explain why she's trying to cause a fight between her and Karen, it would explain why she doesn't want me to know, but it had to be bad for her to do this.

"Nothing, honest."

"Then what the hell, Reenie!" I find myself crying. "Are you mad at me? I told you'd I'd go, you said it was fine!"

"No, I'm not mad!"

"Did something happen then?"

And then she cringes and right there I realize that that's the problem. Something happened while she was at the doctor and she doesn't want to tell me.

"What happened?" I ask coming towards her. "Is it you? Is it the baby? Are you okay? Is the baby okay? What's wrong? What happened?"

I'm frantic, and I know that. But I can't help it. If something's wrong I don't know how I'll live with myself and I'm freaking out just thinking about it.

"Nothing's wrong, we're both healthy."

"And there's only one? This isn't like a twins thing?"

"Nope, still only one baby," she says and I let out my breath and stare at her. She fidgets under my stare and then finally says: "I know the sex and I know you don't want to know so I've been trying to keep it a secret and… and…"

"And you're really excited and you want to tell someone but my family's crazy and they'll tell me like instantly, okay."

She nods and I let out the tension with a long sigh. "Okay, well, tell me then."

"No, I don't want to do that to you…"

"Well you got the sex of our baby despite knowing that I wouldn't want to know and you knew you'd have no one to tell…"

"I did not, the doctor slipped up during the ultrasound," she said with a pout and I find myself chuckling, of course the one time I wasn't there the doctor would slip up.

"Well, you're excited and I want to be excited with you, so what is it. Boy or girl?"

She stares at me for a while as if trying to establish if I'm being truthful or not. And then a large smile dawns on her face and she says: "Boy. It's a boy."

I'm immediately smiling with her, because I know she's been hoping it's a boy and if we're going to be honest, I was hoping for a boy too. But again, I knew both of us were going to be happy with whatever we got, it's just nice when things go your way.

I have her in my arms, pressing a kiss to her still smiling lips. "A boy," I echo and she just nods.

"I've already started looking at S names."

"It doesn't have to start with S, Reenie," I remind her, even though so far everyone in our little family unit has an S name.

"Yes, we do, or he'll feel left out."

I know better than to argue so I just wrap an arm around her and pull her to my side so I can kiss her temple. Now we have to decide if we're going to have a gender reveal party or if we just up and tell my parents.

I think we're going to end up doing a party, just to make up for this wedding my parents are never going to get at this point.


	32. Chapter 32

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers. We've got a short but very sweet chapter today. I'm hoping you guys enjoy this one too. As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 32

* * *

**Sabrina: The Gold's are up to something, but Seth and I are completely out of the loop. I'm not entirely surprised. It feels a little bit like revenge for not including them in the wedding. We kept apologizing but it was a sore point and we knew that. We're having our baby-shower, which is going to be a surprise gender reveal for our family and friends, at Seth's parent's place because it's bigger. At Lilli's request I've let her plan all the details, only I know about the gender reveal part because it's our surprise for the family. I just wish I knew what Lilli and Les were up to.**

* * *

They day of the party, no one will let Sabrina stand up. Which makes sense because she's finally starting to balloon. Not even I am letting her stand. This is her baby shower, she's the one carrying the baby, she's not lifting a finger to help out, she's just to sit there and accept small talk and gifts. That's it.

The gender reveal is set and ready to go, and I've been told to guard the goddamn cupcakes to make sure no one touches them until it's time.

This is hard because I'm no where near Sabrina and my primal protective urges are in full swing now that she's pregnant and showing. On top of that she has my daughter in her arms, and Sierra wants me and she is making that known. So not only are my protective husband urges showing, my fatherly instincts are kicking into overdrive.

Every time she burps, or sneezes or makes any sort of sound of distress the urge to check on her takes over. And of course, every couple of minutes or so Sierra screeches for me and I go to pick her up but she get's bored at the snack table with me and I have to bring her back to her mom.

What's annoying me though is that every time I appear in the house and beside her she's immediately shooing me away. Which is not appreciated because I'm her husband and the father of her kids and I feel like she should love me and want me to be around her, instead of banishing me to the snack table to guard that stupid cupcake tree.

My dad has told me twice now that he has an announcement to make, which I keep telling him is fine so long it's after our announcement. But he pairs this reminder with a smug smirk and a _so you better be ready_, every time and it's making me nervous.

By the time all of guests arrive I'm a wreck. Normally I'm more sociable at these parties but I'm a big grumpy ball of nerves. I'm worried about making another announcement like this, so shortly after our wedding one. We've not even been married two years and we're on kid number two. And we're surprising them again with something, sooner or later our friends and family were going to get sick of our shenanigans.

We have the surprise planned for halfway through the party, and by then Sabrina is up and standing by my side. We've played all the important baby shower games, handed our daughter off my mom who is happily bouncing her up and down, and now it's time to hand out the cupcakes.

Sabrina has this large smile on her face as she instructs everyone to take a cupcake from the tree. Everyone does as requested and then the two of us are holding cupcakes in one hand and each other's hands in the other.

"Alright, so we have some news that we wanted to share…"

"It's a gender reveal!" Ashley cries I shoot a glare at her. Really? She had to hijack our gender reveal? You know, I never pulled this shit when Ashley was pregnant.

"Yes. So, let's have everyone take a bite and we'll see what color's inside!"

Everyone happily bit in, where the icing in the middle was revealed to be blue.

Loud chimes of: "It's a boy!" came from almost everyone as both Sabrina and I smiled. She had given me her cupcake at this point as she hadn't been able to stomach icing for a while, the baby was a fussy eater already.

"A boy!" my parents cry almost in sync as they come up to hug and congratulate us.

"Do you have a name picked?" my mom asks.

"Sebastian," Sabrina says immediately and I sigh because it's not the name I'd really like but I can't seem to talk her out of it and if we're going to be honest it's growing on me.

Without skipping a beat my dad has us pushed to the side to address the crowd in our backyard. "Alright folks, don't go anywhere yet, we have another surprise for everyone."

Sabrina glances to me and I just shrug.

"Well, we've all come to terms, essentially with never getting that real wedding we were promised almost a year and a half ago. So we've decided, since we have everyone here, that we'd fix that."

Okay, so yeah, we hadn't gotten around to renewing out wedding vows in a giant ceremony like my parents wanted, but… we hadn't even celebrated our wedding anniversary. Not really, not since the due date for Sierra was so close to that date. We had a nice dinner at home and watched her favourite movie.

But what the hell did his dad mean that they were going to fix the wedding thing right now?

"So, for all of our honored guests, please get ready for the next event, which will be a tasteful little wedding in our own back yard. If you would please go inside for refreshments, within the hour we will have the chairs set up, and the bride and groom ready to go."

Both Sabrina and I turned shocked eyes first to my dad and then one another. We were doing what now?

* * *

**Les: Our announcement went about as well as I thought it would. At first Seth and Sabrina argued with us. They didn't want a big wedding, they didn't want to put us out. But once they realized that we had everything set and ready to go, and most importantly already paid for, they stopped. Lilli took Sierra again, Ashley got Sabrina into her white summer dress and helped with her make up and hair, not that she needed much help. And Ashley's husband got Seth into his suit. I made sure that the chairs were set up and the priest was in our gazebo. When we were set, with Set waiting in the gazebo in a nice light grey suit with a pink tie, and the music cued, it was time for us to get what _we _wanted. To see my son marry the woman he loved.**

* * *

I'm walking down the aisle again. This time, Les is walking me and not Elvis. Behind me is Ashley and Lili, both of which are acting as brides' maids, and with them is Sierra. Seth is standing with Ashley's husband, and no doubt, Les will be one of the groomsmen too.

I'm in a flowing white dress, short like my first wedding dress, though I'm a whale compared to our last wedding. Both women said they had picked a flowing white gown so it's somewhat hidden, but there's no hiding this massive baby bump. But when Seth turns to look at me and I stop worrying about how I look and all I see is him.

He looks so handsome standing there in a grey suit, and he looks like he's about to cry. So I know, even if I don't think so, he thinks I look absolutely beautiful and that is all I need.

Les hands me up to the make shift altar where Seth takes my hand and his grip is tight but shaky. I smile at him encouragingly and he smiles back, letting go of my hand only once only to wipe a manly tear away.

"Let's get this started, shall we?" the priest asks and I turn to him, more then ready to get this started. "And we'll make it quick, seeing as we have such a nice party to get back to."

At that everyone laughed and just like he said. He went right back into it.

* * *

**Seth: It wasn't a wedding, per say, as it was a re-affirmation of our vows. In front of all our family and friends, just like my parents wanted. Les got to walk Sabrina down the aisle like he had always promised, and he got to give her away which was an added bonus. Having our daughter there to witness the wedding also made it special. **

**I never thought our baby shower would turn out like this but honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Now we can finally put this to rest, and we can start the next chapter of our family without a single regret or mark against us. **


	33. Chapter 33

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! So we've got another chapter that's filled with drama with some cute moments sprinkled in. We're getting closer to the end guys! Are you getting excited? I know I am! As always don't forget to leave a review, or drop a fav or follow and I'll see you guys next Sunday!_

Chapter 33

* * *

**Sabrina: There has been nothing but arguments since our baby shower. Which makes no sense because** **we should all be happy. But nooooo…. Ashley's all defensive about Karen coming in and she's been picking fights right left and center with everyone. It's starting to get annoying.**

* * *

Karen had the nerve to tell me that she thought she had to restock the stainless steel section seven times. SEVEN TIMES. She had only been here, what? A couple of weeks and she thinks she's restocked that many times? And what? What? She's just going to rub it in my face like that? I get that enough from my brother, I don't need it from her too. And I won't be taking it either.

So I'm standing in my section, talking with Bobby-J, who's refilling our trays for us, about it. Karen's across the way doing her thing and I'm doing what I do best. Bitch.

"She's supposedly filled the showcases like seven times. She keeps track, do you keep track of how many times you change the showcases?"

Bobby-J doesn't want to be in this conversation. Like a typical man he can't multitask and he clearly wants to pay attention to what he's doing. He also probably doesn't want to be in the drama either.

Still he answers with an absent: "No, no, I just do my job and that's it."

"I mean, I can totally hear you talking about me," Karen calls to us.

Most people would be mortified, but I'm not going to back down in my store. So I call back: "I wasn't whispering."

And that seems to totally shock Karen for all of two seconds before she recovers and moves towards us. Apparently she's not going to back down either.

"So… are you jealous that I had to stock seven times?"

What the hell did she just say to me? "Jealous?" I echoed and then half scoff at her. "No, see, the thing is, we're not working on commission…"

"Do you think I may have not been able to take on the challenge?"

Did she just interrupt me?

"No, Karen…"

"Are you shocked?"

She fucking did it again! "Okay, Karen if you have an issue, we can go discuss this in the office."

"I really don't have an issue," she says, with as much attitude as Karen could muster. "I wanna know what your issue is."

No. She. _Didn't_!

"No, cause Bobby-J…"

"Cause it sounds like you may be a little bit jealous that I moved product and I surprised you," Karen says completely interrupting me again. I'm legit about to lose it on her. I swear.

"Karen come in the back please," I say trying to remain as composed as I can. It's failing miserably but I'm trying. I have to get points for that, right?

Luckily I only have to say this once, because she says: "Sure," and then walks towards me. But as she comes towards the back, she's saying things like: "Oh this should be good. You guys should grab a bag of popcorn for this one."

And it's just making me angrier.

So as soon as the door shuts behind us, I'm ready. Ready to jump down her fucking throat, but once again she beats me to it.

"All I'm saying is…" "—I actually asked you…" "…No, let me finish!" "—NO! Let me finish!"

And she finally went quiet to let me talk.

"There's some rules in this store for how we handle things. Maybe my dad forgot to explain it to you. If we have an issue come in the back. We don't scream or raise or voices on the showroom sales floor."

"I'm sorry… did you just say that we _don't_ yell on the sales room floor?" Sabrina asks from where she's sitting at her desk outside of Seth's office. She practically has to claw her way into a standing position and I once again wonder why the hell she hasn't just stayed home. I know she's only in her second trimester but she's huge. She has to be carrying twins, she just has to be.

I also happen to know exactly what she's going to say so I want her away from us like ASAP.

"Yeah that's what she said," Karen tells her just as I growl: "Stay out of this."

"Oh well that's funny, so… uh… what did you and Seth constantly get in trouble for before then? Cause I'm pretty sure it was because you two were constantly screaming at each other while on the sales floor."

"Sabrina, stay out of this!" I shout.

But Karen is laughing. "Oh! So this is a regular thing?"

But Sabrina ignores her. "I just think it's funny that you're telling her it's not allowed, all high and mighty like that, when it was legitimately something you used to do. ALL THE TIME!"

"What the hell is your problem, huh?" I shout. "This is none of your business, Reenie! It's not! So go back to your stupid desk and answer Seth's phone…"

I have more to say and I might have gotten around to saying it, except Seth's _protect Sabrina_ sense has fucking amplified since she had gotten pregnant again and he must have sensed a disturbance in the force because he's left the sales floor and is now in between me and Sabrina. I hadn't even noticed him show up.

"Do not yell at my wife!" thunders out of Seth so fucking quickly that I'm actually startled. He's using his height to tower over me and he looks about ready to throw hands at me.

Sabrina puts a hand to him to try and calm him down but it's not working. "It's fine, Seth, it's fine."

But Seth is exactly like me and doesn't want to back down either and, all of a sudden, we're in a four-way argument, where we're all trying to be heard above one another and now my dad is involved, forcing us all into his office for a chat.

* * *

**Les: Children. I'm working with fucking children. I mean two of them are mine, but like… come on… I watched the grown up… now I'm doubting whether I actually did.**

* * *

I stare at my family in utter amazement because this is ridiculous.

We all know Ashley's been in a bad mood since I brought Karen in, but for all four of them to end up in a screaming match outside my office is ridiculous. Especially Sabrina because she's usually the calm one.

"I'm sorry," Sabrina says softly. Seth is standing behind her chair, a hand on her shoulder, a dark scowl painting his features because, as we all know, Sabrina probably shouldn't be the one apologizing.

"Of course she's sorry, fucking suck up," Ashley growls and now Seth's dark glare is on his sister.

"Don't fucking…" he starts but I cut him off.

"Stop it! Stop it! Will someone please just tell me what happened?"

"She was screaming at Reenie," Seth says and that explains why he was involved. He probably had no idea what originally started the fight, just that Ashley was screaming at his wife.

"Ashley was lecturing Karen about not fighting on the sales floor like she doesn't scream at you or Seth on the sales floor," Sabrina explains. "I didn't think it was fair that she got to be all high and mighty about it when she does it all the time."

And that sounds like Sabrina, the unofficial fairness police of the office. And now my attention is on my daughter and my niece.

"You two were screaming on the showroom floor?"

Ashley has gone red in her anger because Sabrina's right and she was banking on Sabrina not snitching on her.

"She just started going at me in front of all the staff…" Ashley starts but Karen cuts her right off.

"Only because she was talking about me as if I weren't there."

"Yes, but the staff didn't need to hear us talking like that," Ashley says clearly trying to be the professional one. Problem is, I know my daughter, so when Karen says it was Ashley talking shit first I can believe it.

"Yes but there's really no shouting out on the showroom floor, then how did I hear you shout: _Can you believe she restocked the stainless steel seven times?_"

"Aw, did you," Sabrina asks suddenly cutting into the argument. "Good job!"

It is a good-job. She probably didn't do it seven times because nothing moves that quick in this store but she has been selling things quite well so that's nice and she has every right to be proud. Ashely should have just said good job.

But as soon as Sabrina has something nice to say to Karen, Ashely has a glare on her. I'm pretty sure the only reason she doesn't jump down Sabrina's throat is because Seth is standing right there glaring at Ashley, daring her to do something, and because she's still trying to pretend that she was the professional one in all of this. And not the person who started it all.

"Okay, you two, why don't you two go back to your office, huh Seth?" I offer and immediately Seth has pulled Sabrina out of that chair and ushered her out of the office. I turn my attention back to the two girls in front of me but before I can say anything Karen's interrupted again.

"I still think you're a little bit jealous."

"We're supposed to be a team out there," Ashley says as if she actually wanted to be a part of the team and she hadn't been icing Karen out the whole time.

"Okay, I'll give you this. I will apologize for raising my voice out on your showroom floor… our showroom floor. But… if I hear my name being brought up in a conversation, then yeah, definitely I'm going to get into that conversation with you as well."

And that is actually a pretty nice deal. It seemed fair, considering it was Ashley's big mouth that got her into this. The problem is Ashley's intimidated by Karen coming in, though why she is makes no sense to me. She needs to get over this fast.

"I think you should take the deal," I tell her which wins me one of her signature glares.

She says nothing but gets up and leaves the office. And I sigh. I love my daughter, but sometimes she drives me to drink

* * *

**Les: Here I was thinking that things were okay. But next day, what do I find? Karen in the back sorting the furs. Why? Why? Because she broke something while cleaning and Ashley sent her into the back to "minimize damage." I swear to god. I swear. What the hell am I going to do with this girl?**

* * *

My dad calls me into the back and I'm ready for a fight. He wants to know why I have Karen in the back no doubt, and I'm willing to tell him the truth. She broke a 400 dollar figurine, I want her back here.

What I'm not prepared for is my dad saying: "You have our best jewelry sales person in the back straightening out the fur coats?"

And I'm not going to lie, that stabs me right in the heart to hear my dad say that to me. I am literally so hurt by this I swear I could cry right now.

"She broke the crystal out their dad," I tell him because if it were me and Seth breaking that crystal figurine, he'd be all over us to pay it back.

"And so what?"

"She's a liability dad!"

But he's not listening. "Is it really so important for her to move the furs?"

"To me it is."

"So if you think it's so important to have Karen move all the fur coats and organize them, why don't _you_ help her move them?"

I should have known that this was trap. And I say nothing, instead I watch as my dad moves to leave. Obviously this is a test, either I stand by my guns and help her move or I move her back to the sales floor and forget this happened.

"Because, you know what, why don't you guy stay back here until you both can work together and co-manage the jewelry department. And while you're doing this I'm going to be on the jewelry floor selling the jewelry, that you guys should be taking care of."

Then my dad walks away and I'm left back there with a new job to do.

Karen sighs. "Great now he's mad at us."

"Just don't even talk to me."

God could this get any worse?

* * *

**Seth: Things were quiet for a while after my dad made Karen and Ashley work together in the back. Like at least a good week, I was actually thinking that things might have turned a corner. Until Karen came up to me and started going on about how Ashley missed having me as a brother and wants me to be nicer to her. Like… WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT GUILT TRIP?! I swear I have never been so fucking upset in my life. Firstly, the problems I have with my sister are her fault, she starts it, every time and Karen should know that. And also… why did she tell Karen all of that sob story shit? Karen didn't need to know that before I did. Why didn't she come to me first? It's a good thing Sabrina's not in today because shit is about to get real!**

* * *

I'm livid. Really livid. Livid that Ashley spouted that garbage and had Karen come in and talk to me. This is a business not Dr. Phil, what was she fucking thinking?

Luckily when I got out to address the situation like I promised Karen I would, the two of them are together.

"Great, you two are together," I say as I clap my hands together and approach them with a big smile. "Are you two busy?"

Both Ashley and Karen are looking at me like I'm crazy and I wish I could say I cared.

"Yeah," they both say carefully, clearly confused and even though I'm smiling I must be giving off some kind of negative vibe because neither of them look at ease right now.

Well I don't care if they're busy, neither of them cared when they came to bother me while I was busy so now, they were going to get mean Seth. And they couldn't go crying to Sabrina either cause today is her day off.

"So, you decided to broadcast your dirty laundry," I say to Ashley who looks genuinely surprised. I then turn to Karen whose mouth has dropped open realizing that this is not going the way she wanted to. "And you're coming into my office during work hours to talk about our family issues."

Ashley turns to Karen. "What did you say?"

Oh, so Ashley was going to pretend that she had no idea that Karen had come to talk to me. That was how she was going to play this, alright?

Poor Karen looks shook, she literally can't seem to fathom how any of this could have gone wrong. She glances at Ashley and then back to me. "Seth… You are blowing this way out of proportion!"

"What did I say?" Ashley asks again.

"Well, I told Seth that you sometimes want your brother, you want your brother relationship. He's all business."

"This is a workplace, Karen," I remind her and she reels back like I insulted her or something. I don't even bother to see if Ashley will corroborate this feeling, because I know it's nonsense.

"I understand that…"

"Well at work, we work, Karen."

"Yes I understand that. But we're still a family, aren't we?"

Yes, technically but we can't treat our business like a family otherwise we won't be in business anymore.

"We are, but you know what, but we have to handle family issues outside of the office."

"I can't believe you told him all of that, I never said to go talk to him. Why would you tell him that at all?" Ashley cries and now poor Karen is in the middle of two angry Gold siblings.

Karen half scoffs and puts a step of space between the both of us as if we're likely to attack her or something. "You two are blowing this way out of proportion."

"What's going on?"

When _the hell_ did Sabrina get here? She's not supposed to be in today, that was the whole point of me doing this, in the first place.

"I…"

But I'm not quick enough, Karen jumps on Sabrina's appearance, knowing that I won't argue with my pregnant wife and my sweet, hormonal, can't-be-upset wife will side with them if the sob story is good enough.

"I heard Seth screaming at Ashley and she was crying after…"

"No… no…" I start knowing exactly what Sabrina is going to say and she's already looking at me with those big wide eyes of horror.

"You made your sister cry!"

"She is blowing things out of proportion, it's fine."

"No, it's not. He was being tough on her and then she said that she just wants to have sibling conversations with him and she misses him and I just wanted to Seth to know that…"

Sabrina has pressed her hands to her chest. "She wants to have sibling conversations."

"No, she doesn't!" I cry. "She's just saying that! She doesn't mean it!"

"Uh… yes I do… and you're always business, business, business. Sometimes I just want to talk to my brother. Not Seth the manager."

Beside me Sabrina starts to cry. "No, don't… Reenie…"

"She just wants to talk to her brother and you're _mean_ to her," she sobs and turns to me and I'm stuck I know it.

"Look what you've done," I hiss to Ashley and Karen but neither of them care, they're smiling at me because they know that Sabrina is going to make me cave.

She grabs my arm and begins to shake me. "She just wants you to be her _brother_!"

I sigh and hang my head and she slaps my shoulder. "Apologize for making her cry!" Sabrina cries. "How can you be so horrible to your _sister_."

Easy because Ashley is horrible to me. "It's just… it was at work… I can be her brother outside of work…"

She slaps my shoulder again and I sigh. "She is your sister, whether you're at work or not. So be nice, apologize and have that stupid sibling conversation with her or so help me, you're sleeping at your parents."

Like hell I'm letting Reenie stay at home without our daughter alone. Fuck no. And she knows it.

"Fine. Fine. Here's what we're going to do," I say, still trying to make this my idea and not because Sabrina is making me cave. "Keep your phone on, five minutes after we close I'll issue you a formal apology. Will that be good enough?"

"No!" Sabrina cries, no longer actually crying but absolutely livid with me. "Seth Gold, you apologize right this instant for making Ashley cry. Go on."

She points at my sister as if to emphasize her point. She has her other hand on her waist, and she's glaring up at me. What really gets me is she's using her scolding voice that she only uses on our cat and our daughter.

"Sabrina."

"I'm going to count to three, young man."

What the shit?

"One…"

"Sabrina that's not going to work on me…"

"Two…"

"Sabrina…"

"Thr…." "—Fine I'm sorry!" I say to Ashley. "There. There, you happy, is everyone happy? I'm sorry. Okay?"

"Yes, I feel better now," Sabrina says and across from me Karen and Ashley are fucking beaming.

"Keep your phone on after work, you and I are gonna have that… sibling chat you wanted to have," I warn her before letting Sabrina drag me away.

"Thank you for apologizing," she says to me, which at least makes it a little better. She always thanks me for bending to her hormonal whims, so at least she's not just expecting me to do it. I mean, I do, because I'm the one who got her pregnant in the first place.

"You're lucky you're cute," I tell her stooping in to kiss her nose and she smiles up at me.

Alright, so it didn't go the way I wanted it to go, but hey, at least it wasn't that bad.


	34. Chapter 34

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Well this has been a long time coming. I'm so sorry my wonderful readers, I had this chapter ready to go ages ago I just put off posting, not sure why. My motivation has been scattered, been having a real hard time keeping up with my own posting schedule and all my writing. I'm going to try to be regular with this story though. Only 6 more chapters and we'll be done. Isn't that exciting?! I'm hoping to have this story done before the new year! Fingers crossed! Don't forget to leave a review or a fav or a follow and I'll see you next week._

Chapter 34

* * *

**Sabrina: Things have been going well, sort of. There are still small arguments, like Les handing out two massive loans he had no business approving. Like we almost had a multi-million-dollar art deal which turned out to be some kind of scam. I called that from the beginning and no one listened to me, too blinded by the dollar they could have been making to see it for what it was. I didn't say _I told you so_ but I should have. But in the major argument department, everything has been good. And then Seth decided that he wanted to shoot a commercial. **

**Les of course was against it, in fact everyone was against Seth on this commercial. But Seth had a plan, and he didn't tell me about it, which is good cause I would have nixed it immediately. They went to a race track and raced for it, winner got to choose if they'd do the commercial. Seth won. We're going to shoot the commercial and then unreasonable, very hormonal me cried for two days straight just thinking of what might have happened if my husband, the love of my life and the father of my children had died in a racing accident. It took him those two days to calm me down. And he promised to never do it again. **

**But hey… we both got what he wanted… Seth is never going to put himself in undo danger like that again and Seth gets to shoot his commercial.**

* * *

I did a lot of research, talked to a lot of directors before settling on Christo who fit our vision and our budget.

I'm immediately excited the second I see Christo in the shop, because he wants to talk storyboard with me and my dad so we're on the same page. And what he talks us through is exactly what we wanted and envisioned ourselves. So, with my dad's blessing, we move straight on to filming.

Frist Christo kind of mills around the shop looking for customers and staff that he wants to cast in our commercial. He does this while his crew sets up the lights and everything else he needs.

At first I kind of mill around with him, then I get distracted by my regular duties in shop and then further distracted when my pregnant wife shows up with my daughter. Sabrina looks about ready to pop, even though she has at least two more months to go, but she's officially on maternity leave and not supposed to be here. She's not supposed to be stressed and as much I love this place, I know it's stressful to work here, even just to be here sometimes.

But it's me who ends up being stressed out because Sabrina says: "Uh… you know Christo's been talking to Ashley for like the last ten minutes right?"

And then I'm dashing over to rescue him from her because Ashley's been in a snit since I won that bet.

When I get out there, Ashley is glaring at the man while he stands there staring at her. Ashley turns to me the second I get there though.

"You didn't introduce me to the director, Seth."

And I know right then and there that she's going to fuck with me on this. I just know it.

"Ash, Christo. Christo, my sister Ashley," I say quickly hoping to get her off of this topic ASAP and away from him.

"We've already met," Christo says and I internally wince. God I hope he's good at directing because he's acting pretty stupid right now.

"So… am I going to be in the commercial, Seth?" Ashley asks me, pinning me with a defiant glare, daring me to say no. Oh how I want to say no.

"I'd love for you to be in the commercial," Christo says for me and I defer to him.

Ashley glares at the both of us for a long while and then shakes her head. "Yeah, alright."

As she storms away I smile apologetically at Christo who does not seem put off at all. He smiled lazily at me and then went off to do his thing. Great, well… now I was going to have to worry about Ashley now.

* * *

My dad is having fun. We're starting with him. We have the camera going through the door, all he has to do is open the door, smile, wave and say hello. And he's laughing. I mean, I'm glad he's having fun, but I also need him to be serious.

Then, when we've almost got it, Ashley gets in the shot with her sour puss and her sour attitude and completely ruins the whole shot. We have to take it again.

Then it's time for the voice overs. I think my dad is doing a good job but Christo has him trying all these goofy things and voice exercises that make no sense. So he starts singing the alphabet so Christo will leave him alone.

Then he's laughing through the voice overs. And again, I'm glad he's having fun but I need him to be serious.

Then it comes to Ashley's turn, her point to shine. Then she's having issues.

She got hit in the head with a microphone, she drops the coat she's supposed to be showing off. It takes forever to get her shot done, I say nothing though I'm seething.

Then we shoot my dad again, have him interacting with a customer, and he's giggling again. Seriously dad, get it together.

Next is my bit. They wanted me to play with one our customer's children, I pulled in my daughter instead. Sierra _loves_ playing with me, now that she's walking. So I have a lot of fun getting her to toss a ball at me, which rolls more than tosses, and the shot includes her running up to give me a hug.

I like it, I like that I have my daughter in the commercial. Scratch that, I love that she's in it, even if they can't see her face, something I requested cause she was too young for that. Or at least in my eyes.

I'm standing with Sierra in my arms when Ashley says: "I just don't see what that has to do with pawnshops. It's like hey welcome to my store, we're playing games here. I unno, it's weird."

She's only saying it to fuck with me. Because I'm the one that took charge of this and she's feeling left out or like I usurped control. It's a petty move and I wish I could say that I'm not letting it get to me. Problem is, I am.

"It's your call, Christo," I say though I'm scowling at my sister. Not even Sierra's tight grip on my neck is making me feel better. "If you think the shot's good then it's good."

"Hey Seth!" Ashley cries, "Wanna play catch."

She's taunting me and I know it. Except what I'm not expecting is Sierra to literally lob that ball at Ashley. Not even Ashley was expecting it so the ball bounced off of her head.

From where Sabrina is standing, I can hear her laugh. "Serves her right."

I try not to smile and then the urge to smile fades entirely when Christo says: "We'll try shooting something else and we can decide between the two when we're editing."

Ashley smiles triumphantly at me, but I shake my head. I hand my daughter off to Sabrina who watched the whole by-play silently but as I turn to walk away I hear her say: "That was mean, Ash."

Well at least my wife has my back.

* * *

We're standing in the TV section. We literally closed shop for an hour to unveil this, I'm that fucking excited.

I have Sabrina here, she has Sierra on her hip who has gotten into repeating the wordy _daddy _whenever she sees me, nonstop because she knows I can't resist her. But I'm resisting her right now and it's surprising her, I can tell.

"Thank you, guys for gathering around. So, we filmed the commercial and I just got back the edited version. I have it here for you guys to see first and I think you guys are going to like what we have."

Ashley has this shit eating grin on her face as she claps her hands. "I'm so excited."

"I'm sure you are," I say.

I did a lot of bitching about that day of shooting to Sabrina who listened and sympathized as she always did. I told her I wanted to get back at Ashley, I just didn't know what I wanted to do. Sabrina gave me some prank ideas but nothing that really stuck, but she did warn me not to go to far. Because Ashley, she'd go nuts on me if I went too far.

I uh…I may have gone too far but I'm pretty sure it's more than warranted.

So I press play and then the video is playing. It starts with my dad welcoming the viewer into the store and then we're show casing happy patrons and our merchandise. They took out the shot with my daughter and replaced it with me catching a basket ball, we've got my dad with a guitar, Dan with a chainsaw and then the commercial is over.

And I have two angry face and my wife coming at me.

Sabrina at least is happy. She hugs me close with a: "Awww, look at my handsome man in a commercial. I'm so proud of you."

Then she kisses me on the cheek and hands my daughter over to me so she'll stop saying _daddy_ over and over.

But the two angry faces of Karen and Ashley have not gone away.

"Uh? Where were we in the family commercial?" Ashley asks.

I shrug. "You know, a lot of footage had to be cut…"

"You cut our parts?" comes from both Ashley and Karen. Ashley is glaring at me because obviously this is my fault, Karen looks hurt and is mostly looking at her Uncle Les as he's the big boss around here.

"Did anyone see me in it?" Ashley shouts to our staff who are all avoiding her eyes.

"You were in it for a second," I tell her. "I saw an arm."

Ashley turns on me. "What are you paying me back for something?"

Yes. I didn't mean to get Karen though, we literally just didn't have room for her. I _chose_ to cut Ashley though.

And Sabrina must have realized that cause she's staring at me funny, but I'm hoping she keeps her mouth shut until we get home.

"No, I just don't see why you care, you didn't want to be in it, remember?"

But Ashley is screaming and yelling about how we took up her time with this and she didn't even make the cut. And how that was absolutely stupid.

As she's shouting at everyone Sabrina leans into me and asks: "Please tell me you didn't do this purposely because she can gave you a hard time with the commercial."

The problem was Ashley somehow heard her and she was on me in a second. "Oh so you _are_ paying me back for something!"

Luckily my dad intervenes. "All that matters is that sign. American Jewelry and Loan, so let it go Ashley," he cries. He then gave me a kiss of congratulations.

Ashley had stopped yelling but I could tell by the fire in her eyes that I had it coming. I didn't know when, but she was going to get me back. I just knew it.


	35. Chapter 35

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello there my wonderful readers. So here we are, another late update. I swear I posted this yesterday but I clearly didn't which is odd because I had it ready to go as of yesterday. Anyway, enjoy the late update and don't forget to leave a review so I know if you guys like it! _

Chapter 35

* * *

I called my kids into the office because we've been having problems with staff.

Just last week one of our best sales people got into a dust up with another one of our sales associates, called her a bitch, told her to fuck off, in front of other staff and in front of customers. Obviously, this was no good. I pulled him in to talk about it and he lied to me, to my face. He was suspended, but he chose not to come back.

This all could have been avoided if Ashley had managed them properly but that didn't happen so, now I'm down one of our best sales people. So, I've come up with a plan on how to make sure our staff is behaving.

"So, as you know things have not been going all that well here," I remind them and they both nod to me. "Our employees need to understand how important customer service is. How important product knowledge is, so I've come up with a great idea. I'm going to bring in a secret shopper."

"To do what?" Seth snaps. To be fair, he has ever right to be snippy. Sierra had come down with a cold over the weekend and Sabrina was complaining of back pain, like more so than usual. It was so bad that he had Sabrina on bed rest again, but Sabrina hated bed rest.

Lilli was over there now, to sit with her and keep her in bed, because that was the only way it was going to work with Sierra being sick, his wife being on bed rest and he here.

"To evaluate the employees…"

"Instead of hiring somebody why don't you walk around the showroom floor and watch the staff?"

Because that was Ashley's job and she messed it up. Because I can't be everywhere at once.

"I'd rather bring in a professional company…"

"I don't think it's a good idea."

Why are my kids interrupting me so much today? I mean seriously what the hell.

"I don't either. We haven't even gotten over Tony and Linda," Ashley says and I sigh.

"The dust hasn't even settled yet," Seth adds. Well, at least _they're_ working together. Too bad it's against me.

"I don't feel comfortable setting up our own employees."

"We're not setting them up," I cry.

"If you go through with this, trust me, there's going to be trouble."

But I don't think that at all. "I think there's going to be a benefit to the store. I think there's going to be a benefit to the employees and most of all it's going be a benefit to the customers."

But Seth is shaking his head and already walking away. "It makes no sense," he snaps as he leaves. Ashley went with him too. Nodding her head in agreement.

Well to bad. I'm boss and I'm going to do it anyway.

* * *

**Les: Well, despite my children's warnings and forebodings, I did it anyway. I contracted out a company to come into my store as secret shoppers. And for a few weeks I waited as these people came in to test my shoppers. I got the video back, watched it back and was horrified by what I saw. And not just from my regular staff either. I mean, I honestly can't believe what I saw. And it's time they saw it too.**

* * *

I've been having a rough week.

My wife, who should be on bed, rest keeps leaving the damn apartment. She showed up at AJL more that once to visit me. And while I love visits from my wife, especially when she comes with my daughter, she hasn't been feeling well and she has a baby to worry about which means I'm doubly worried.

So today was supposed to be a half day only. That's it. That's all. Then my dad tells me and Ash that he's gone ahead and gone with the secret shopper thing we thought we had talked him out of. And I don't mean he's told us one is coming in soon. I mean he's got the results. A secret shopper had already been _in our store_.

We're obviously pissed but it's not until me, Ash and Karen get called into the office that I know he saw something truly terrible on there.

Still we all file into his office, even though I'm pretty sure we're all defensive at this point. Maybe not Karen cause she's always smiling and a little oblivious.

"So, I got the results back from the secret shopper company, and I've looked at the written report and the video they sent me," he says and wow, isn't that good for him. "So, what I wanted you guys to do is come back here and check this out. It's going to show you exactly what they saw when they walked through the front door."

I want to roll my eyes and walk away but I follow after my sister and Karen as they do as my dad asks and stand behind his chair.

The first is a video of Bobby-J with three rings on the counter. Already we have a problem because that's not allowed, it's only one item at a time. Minimize the amount they can steal.

The next one, however, is me. My dad presses play on my clip and then turns to look at me.

I even remember this purchase.

"Can you bring down that acoustic for me?" the guy asks.

You can already tell I'm very busy, I have a paper in one hand, and Sierra on my other arm.

I want to give this guy attention but I can't. I can tell that my dad isn't impressed but I thought I handled it quite nicely.

"I'm just working on something can you give me a second?"

And in a flash, there's my wife. Looking as lovely as ever, and clearly very pregnant.

"I got this…" she says turning a wide smile onto the awaiting patron.

"Sabrina…" you hear me warn but I'm not on camera anymore.

"Nope it's okay. I can help you sir. Can you point out which acoustic you're interested in?"

My dad paused the video and then turned to me.

"So, you were too busy and your wife, who's not working for us right now, took the client?" he asks. We all watch the video as Sabrina continues to give flawless service.

"I was busy dad, you saw the paper in my hand…"

"And your daughter?"

"Sabrina brought Sierra with her and you know how she fusses if I'm not the one holding her!" I complain but it doesn't matter, my father's not impressed and there's nothing I can do to change that now.

The next clip is Ashley. For Ashley's clip I can clearly see what's wrong with hers. She's acting disinterested and bored, to the point where she even yawned. She tried to say that never happened, that that was the first time, but that was one hell of a coincidence, now wasn't it.

The next clip is Linda, who is also giving flawless service over in the fur coat department. Then JP is next and he does flawlessly as well.

"Now, the highest person scored at a 98, but we're going to talk about who scored at 97, which is Karen."

So, we have someone who scored higher than Karen? Why aren't we talking about them then.

My dad plays her clip next and she's just glowing and happy through out the whole clip. A little bit like Sabrina except hers comes off more genuine, while Karen's seems so bubbly it has to be fake.

"See, perfect," he says but Ashley is not having it.

"Yeah? If she's so perfect, who's the 98% then dad?"

See, I'm pretty sure I already know who it is, and I don't want my dad to confirm it.

"She doesn't work here right now, so I'm not counting her."

I internally sigh, because I'm right. It is Sabrina. And Ashley seems to have gotten it too.

"Sabrina?" she growls.

"Yep. She's not even a real employee right now, and she's scored the best. She's got the best customer service out of all of you. I should promote her when she gets back."

"Yeah, if she ever stops popping out children," Ashley growls and I smack my sister's arm.

Our son wasn't planned, I won't say an accident, because we very much wanted a second child just not so soon after our first.

"Leave Sabrina alone, Ash," I snap at her even though I'm pretty pissed that Sabrina is the best, again. It's like she was messing with me even when she wasn't working with me.

"Right, now that you guys know what good customer service is, let's see you put that to use."

I shake my head but leave the office. I look at the clock and figure now is a good enough time to head home, so I pack up my things, and head home. I may not be my dad's favourite employee but I know I'm my wife's favourite husband and my daughter's favourite daddy. And that's going to make my day better.


	36. Chapter 36

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! So we have a shorter chapter this week but we have a lot of action in this one too. I hope you guys are continuing to enjoy this story, don't forget to drop a fav, a follow or a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 36

* * *

**Karen: I have never been so upset before. I'm so upset I've lost my perky demeanour. I can't believe that Ashley embarrassed me like that. She came right up to me, in the middle of a deal and freaked out on me over what I was offering… in front of the customer. But was I going to let her get away with this? Hell no, because then she'd never stop doing it. So, I'm going to put her in her place.**

* * *

We're only off the floor for two seconds, the door has been shut behind us for less than half a second and Karen basically jumps down my throat.

"Okay, I love you to death and I've got nothing but respect for you in this business," she starts and I already like where this is going. It sounds like everything I'd want to hear. "But could you just like… maybe… not step into my negotiations like that, it's kind of embarrassing."

And now I'm confused, because I just did her a favour. She should be thanking me.

"What did I do?"

"You just kinda belittled me in front of those people like I had no idea what the hell I was talking about."

That's because she didn't and that is exactly what I tell her.

Nope she didn't like that. "All I'm saying to you is that when I'm out there negotiating stuff with customers if you could please not step in and step on my toes it would be greatly appreciated."

I must have made a face because Karen then says: "We're going to end the conversation there before it goes to the next level."

What the fuck does that mean? "Next level? What kind of next level?"

"No, we're not going there," she says trying to walk away but I won't let her. We don't actually get to argue though, we're interrupted.

The door opens again and now Sabrina is standing there. Sabrina, who shouldn't be out of her bed let alone out of the apartment, is now staring at us with eyes wide full of surprise because she wasn't expecting us.

"Oh, hello, is Seth in his office?"

"I think so," Karen says sweetly as I say: "I don't keep track of my brother."

Sabrina pushes past the both of us, not in an aggressive way but in a I'm-clearly-pregnant-and-can't-help-it sort of way and as she does, she says: "What's going on with you guys, you guys okay?"

"We're fine Sabrina," I say knowing that if she gets pulled into one of our arguments, I'll never hear the end of it.

But Karen says: "No, Ashley and I are discussing whether or not she should be stepping in while I'm negotiating."

At that Sabrina turns around and I frown, because, of course, now she's going to get involved. "Why? Did Ashley do that to you?"

"Sabrina aren't you here to see Seth?" I ask her just as Karen says: "Yes."

"Well yeah, but he's just going to be mad I left home," she says and then puts her hands on her hips. "Why would you step into one of her deals, Ashley? You and Seth used to literally get into screaming matches when he'd do that to you."

I decide to ignore Sabrina, even though Karen is now open mouth smiling like she's caught my hand in the cookie jar. "You didn't know the item and I had to step in."

"I'm simply asking you to respect me enough to at least ask if I need help," she said. "But now I want to discuss why you felt the need to do it to me if you clearly didn't like when it happened to you."

"She has a point."

"Oh, shut up, Sabrina," I snap. "Could you maybe get your nose our of everyone else's business for once in your life."

"As opposed to you who just steps into other people's deals."

"I'm just saying, Ashley, if you don't like it, you shouldn't do it to others," Karen says trying to deflect my anger onto her. But it doesn't work, because I am also very sick of Sabrina getting away with everything and everyone protecting her.

"If you're making mistakes, I'm going to step in," I cry and then turn onto Sabrina. "And you…"

"Oh what? I'm not the one caused this argument, you did. I don't know why you're being so difficult."

"Difficult? Me difficult? You are the definition of difficult. All you have to do is sit in bed and you refuse to do it. How do you think Seth feels? You think he wants to be at work all the time because you're unable to not be pregnant, or worried all the time because you can't follow the simplest of orders."

"Okay so for starters, I didn't get pregnant by myself, he helped,"

"Ew, Sabrina, Ew I don't want…"

"And secondly, I'm feeling much better today, and I just wanted to see if he wanted to go shopping with me or for lunch, and I don't know why you're yelling at me, you're the one who has problems sharing."

"I do not!" I cry. "What I don't like is having to deal with an idiot who should have never worked here o r in this industry, and my stupid brother's stupid wife who can't do anything right. I mean, where is your first kid huh?"

But that is the wrong thing to say to her, because her face goes red and I suddenly remember that Seth had mentioned that the baby hormones this time around were making her angrier than she usually is.

"That is one of the worst things you've ever said to me," she says and it's really not, I've said worse to her face and behind her back. "You are a terrible person you know that? You're terrible at customer service and at being a sister!"

Oh, those are some heavy words coming off of her today, I'm actually impressed. I think this is the meanest Sabrina has been like… ever.

"Then, leave, Sabrina, no one wants you here, so leave!"

"Why don't you leave!" she shouts back. "AJL runs smoother when you're not here, so GET OUT!"

And it's that right there that does it. Sabrina raised her voice, like a good volume, and with it she stomped her foot. Then she faltered. A sort of whimper of pain broke out and she began to fold into herself, her hands on her stomach.

Both Karen and I stop everything. I'm no longer angry, neither of us want to fight any more, we're both staring at Sabrina in horror as she whimpers out a few: "Oh… ow… ow…"

And then she gets a really strong pain and she lurches out for me. I grab her back bringing her to my side and staring down at her belly as if I could see through her coat and her skin to the source of the problem. I'm not Superman so I can't.

"Oh my god, it hurts… something's… something's… Seth," she screams. There is a pause where she clearly is going through another wave of pain and she begins to panic. "Seth!... SETH!"

My arm goes around her in a heart beat because her knees are buckling. This is not good. I can tell that she's in pain but her water hasn't broken. All I can think is that if something's happened to her Seth isn't going to let me go anywhere near her or their kids ever again.

Karen rushes off to get her a chair so we're not moving her, and already I can hear the mad scramble of Seth clamouring to answer his wife's cries for him.

The second he rounds the corner and spots her I see panic blossom onto her face. "What, what is it, what happened?" he asks, but Sabrina grabs at her stomach and bites back a cry of pain. He rounds onto me immediately. "Ashley what happened?!"

I don't know what to say. That we were all screaming at one another so badly that she went into labour a month and a half early? That there has to be some sort of complication to make it hurt like that? He might slap me where I stand.

"It hurts, something's wrong Seth, it hurts."

Karen is back with a chair, Seth carefully helps her into it had has her explain what exactly is wrong or what she's feeling and then he turns to me, worry etched permanently into his face now to say: "Ash call an ambulance!"

Karen and I go together, I call 911, she gets my dad who calls my mom before going over to help calm down Sabrina and Seth.

This is the second time Sabrina is being taken from AJL in an ambulance except this time it's all my fault.

* * *

**Les: Something is really wrong, and I can tell. Firstly, if the baby is really coming now, he's almost two months early. Not only is Sabrina in pain, Seth is freaking out, and to be honest we're freaking out too. So as soon as they disappear in the ambulance, I send my girls off to the hospital while I pull in managers who can close the building up without me or one of my kids being there, then I head over to the hospital too, hoping that nothing has gone too wrong in my absence.**

* * *

By the time the family gets there I'm a complete and utter wreck. I've had no update on either Sabrina or our son and I'm absolutely losing it.

When my family finds me in the waiting room, I can see on their faces that all of them can tell that something is wrong. They all rush to me, my dad at the head of the crowd.

"What's happening…"

"I don't know… they said that… there's some sort of complication that something was attached wrong and that something needed to be cut out. They said something about blood loss and… they kicked me out… told me to wait here and they haven't come back out…"

Ashley and my mom are immediately moving to the nursing station for more information, but my dad has me sit back down in the chair. A n ruse keeps putting me in it but I keep getting out to pace. I can't keep still.

He keeps a hand around my shoulders trying to keep me calm but I'm anything but.

"It'll be okay," he tells me. "Don't worry…"

But I can't help but worry. This is my wife, the love of my life and I'm about to lose her. Her and our son. How would I deal with that? How would I raise our daughter alone? All while mourning Sabrina? And what if the baby survives but she doesn't? Then I'm going to raise two kids by myself? I don't know how to do this any of this and I'm losing my mind with worry.

"I can't lose her dad… I can't… I can't do this by myself,"

"She's gonna be okay Seth, don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay."

We sit there for a bit and luckily no one comes to talk to me. Except the doctor.

"Seth Gold…"

The second he says my name he's surrounded. He's got my mom, my sister, and Karen up in his face. Problem is, none of them are me and he can tell that.

I push them aside, with my father beside me. "I'm Seth, is Sabrina okay?"

He looks to me and then the field of angry women behind me and he says: "I think we should go into one of the rooms, what do you think?"

I'm suddenly terrified he's giving me bad news. They only want to talk in private if its bad news. Now I don't want to be alone, I want the angry field of women behind me to come with me, except my mom has Sierra in her arms and if I'm going to break down, I don't want my daughter to see that even if she's not old enough to remember.

But I can't bring all of them, otherwise there's no point in going somewhere private. "Can my dad come?"

"Oh, I'm coming, let's go, let's do this," he said, keeping his arm around me and tugging me to his side and leading me off after the doctor. With my dad beside me I know that whatever I'm told it'll be okay because I will still have my family there to help me. And, oh boy, will I need them if things didn't end well.

* * *

**Seth: Not only is my son born a month and a half earlier then he was supposed to be, there were complications with his birth. It's finally explained to me what exactly what had happened. She had something called Placenta Previa, which just meant that the placenta attached itself to the lower area of the uterus stopping my son from getting out. All the pushing she had done in the ambulance had ruptured it, which was causing her uterus to hemorrhage. They had to use a C-section to get my son out, and then they had to remove, not only the placenta but her uterus so she wouldn't bleed out and die. She'll never be able to have another kid. **

**And our Son, who I made sure was named Sebastian, just like she wanted, was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit until further notice. **

**That's all the information they can give me. I don't know if my wife or my son are actually going to make it. **

**And let me tell you that's the worst feeling in the world. **


	37. Chapter 37

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFics**

_A/N: Happy Sunday my wonderful readers! Here we have a new chapter, and we get to find out what's happening with both Sebastian and Sabrina. I'm really excited for the upcoming chapters because they're going to wrap everything up. Only three more chapters until we're done guys! As always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!_

Chapter 37

* * *

**Les: Seth has been amazing. In the last twenty-four hours he has lived at the hospital. He's bouncing back from the room they have Sabrina in, to the NICU where they've got Sebastian. He's getting all the updates he can and then he goes back to Sabrina to see if she's okay. Lili and I have taken Sierra until Seth and Sabrina figure out what's going on with Sebastian, and Ashley has stayed at the hospital with Seth. It was really great to see Ashley coming through for Seth seeing how much they argue at the shop. If only it hadn't happened because she wanted to be supportive and not because she was feeling guilty.**

* * *

Despite being through something traumatic Sabrina wakes up in the morning. She must still be on adrenaline because her heart monitor beats wildly out of control and her eyes are wide and looking for not just for me but for Sebastian too.

"Where… where…" she keeps saying as I stand up to go to her.

"He's not here…"

Fear lights up in her eyes, fear and dread. "Is he alive?"

"He is," I say immediately and her heart monitor goes back to normal just as the nurse comes in. I move away just because the nurses want to check her over but once they give her a look over and she's okay I'm back by her side.

They leave us and she turns to me, a weepy sort of look on her face and I know that at some point I'm going to have to break her heart and I'm not looking forward to it.

"He's alive," I repeat and she smiles, though a worried tear escapes her eyes. "He's uhm… he's in the NICU, they've uh… they've been giving me updates…"

"The what?"

"Neonatal intensive care unit," I explain and that worry graces her face again. "Okay, calm down, I'm going to tell you what they've told me, and then… you know while you're resting, I'll bring more info until you're good to go see him, okay?"

She nodded and I sit back down and reach out for her hand. "So… he uh… he's too small to keep himself warm so they've got him in this incubator thing to moderate his temperature. He's uh… he's got mild respitory issues, they gave me a technical name, but uh… his lungs are under developed so he's on a ventilator, but they don't think he'll stay on it for long. Uhm… he's got an IV cause they can't breast or bottle feed yet. They think… they think that this will last for maybe a week to two weeks. Then we'll be able to take him home."

Sabrina took that all in. "So it's not… it not…"

"It's actually not that bad. He just needs to put on some weight, once he can keep himself warm we can take him home."

She nods, leaning back into her pillows with a sigh.

"There is something else though," I whisper. I don't really want to do this, but it might be better to get it out of her now, before bringing her to see our son.

"There is?"

"Yeah, not about Sebastian," I tell her quickly ad her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "It's uhm… it's about you. Something about you."

She blinks her eyes again, that confusion growing on her.

"So. Uhm… you had something called Placenta Previa, which is uhm… the placenta attached to the bottom of your uterus and while you were pushing it ruptured… uhm.. cause it was blocking Sebastian's exit."

"Oh… so that would have been the pain…"

"Yes uhm… anyway… so uhm… because you ruptured it you were essentially internally bleeding. So they got Sebastian out via a c-section…"

"Are you afraid that I'm going to be upset about a scar? Cause that's stupid."

I scowl at her. "Obviously. I'm not that stupid. I know you Reenie, I know you don't care about those sorts of things, and I hope you know that I don't care either."

She half smiles and I add: "That's not what I was trying to tell you, Reenie."

The smile drains out of her face and I reach out again and hold her hand tightly. "They… they had to give you a hysterectomy."

And there was that shock I was waiting for. Her mouth just dropped as the realization of what this meant dawned on her.

"They didn't have a choice Reenie, you were going to die it was the only thing they could do to save you."

"We'll never… I'll never…"

"I know, I know, but it's okay, because we have two and that's okay baby, that's enough," I say.

"You've always wanted a big family," she says tears starting to stream from her eyes.

"No. No. I want you. I don't care about a big family, I care about you. I would pick you over more kids a million times over. You know that?"

She nods but the tears don't stop falling.

"You're allowed to be sad, Reenie, you're allowed to be upset, but please, please don't think that I'm going to hold this against you," I tell her and she nods again. "Do you want me to just… do you want me to leave you alone to cry or…?"

She shakes her head and then lifts her arms to me. She doesn't have to say it, she doesn't have to use the words, I climb into her bed and hold her to me. And I just let her cry.

* * *

I wouldn't say I got over it, but I definitely came to terms with what happened relatively quickly.

True to his word, Seth had stayed with me, let me cry it all out. I could tell that he was sad too, and disappointed. We had always talked about having a big family, but he also had a point, if I had to pick between a big family or having him, I'd pick our two children and him over a big family any day.

I think what also helped me come to terms quicker was that I had a son that was sick. He took priority to me and as soon as I was done crying, I sent Seth to get me more information on my son's condition.

Seth did one better and came back with the doctor. The Doctor talked me through it and it was exactly what Seth said. Nothing had changed except that Sebastian was getting stronger and healthier by the hour. They honestly expected nothing to go wrong with him at all.

Except I was still worried and would continue to be until I could take hold him in my arms.

So I asked when I could go to see him. Sebastian's doctor didn't have an answer, so he went to get mine. I told Seth that I wanted him to spend his time with Sebastian, so he'd have one of his parents there but Seth wouldn't leave.

He wanted to hear what the doctor had to say about me and how I was faring. Which was fair, because I would have totally lied to Seth about how I was doing so he would take me to see Sebastian earlier then recommended.

I got in luck, though it didn't feel like it at the time. They wanted me in bed for a few more days, one at the very least. If I was doing better in the morning, they would think about letting me go down to the NICU to see my son.

It wasn't what I wanted to hear but it could have been so much worse.

I immediately sent Seth back to Sebastian and he went without a second thought. And he spent the rest of the day going back and forth between the two of us, regardless of me telling him to just stay with Sebastian.

By the time visiting hours were over, Les and Lily had come in to see me, and so had Karen. Karen hugged me right away, breaking out into tears and telling me how sorry she was that she caused this. I told her that was silly, of course it wasn't her fault. My placenta was in the wrong place, it was going to cause problems no matter what.

Though it took some convincing, eventually she agreed with me and was back to her happy perky self.

I did not, however, see Ashley, and I had a feeling that that was because she too was feeling guilty.

And the end of visiting hours, Seth came into my room telling me he had to leave. I already knew this, of course, so I wasn't surprised but he seemed to feel like he shouldn't have been leaving her or Sebastian even if the hospital was saying he had to.

I told him I'd see him in the morning and sure enough when I woke up, not only was Seth there but so was my doctor.

"We're checking you out," he had said to me. "To see if you're good to go."

God my husband knew me well.

My doctor gives me a good look over and then gives me the good news. I am finally good to move. I'm not good enough to go home, but he says I'm good enough to go see my son, and that's all I need right now.

Already the nurses are wheeling in a wheelchair, and Seth is moving to help me up and into it. They have a house coat I'm pretty sure Seth bought me just for this moment to put me in. It's a pink fuzzy house coat that probably looks terrible on me but I don't care.

Once in the wheelchair Seth is wheeling me down the hallway to the elevator which will take us to the floor my son is on.

When we get there the nurses all know Seth. They all wave and smile and ask how he's doing and he nods and smiles back telling them he's fine. They all seem excited to see me and gush about how excited they are to see that I've gotten well so quickly.

And then we're at his room.

I'm just in the doorway but I can see him. My son, in an incubation container. There are all these wires and tubes hooked up to him and he's just lying on his back in nothing but his nappies. He's not moving, so I assume he's sleeping.

This particular container has gloves attached to it, which means I can reach on in and hold him with those gloves. I won't be able to pick him up, but I could put my hands on him, sort of feel him under my palms and that was what I wanted.

Seth wheels me closer and then carefully helps me stand. He stands right next to me, using his hip to hold me up as I just look at our son.

He stirs, his little hands balled up by his face begin to move, his eyes, still not open, were crinkling as if he were trying to open them.

"He knows you're here," Seth whispers and I almost burst into tears right there.

I put my hands into the gloves and reach out for my son, letting his little hand take a hold of my gloved finger I swear I see a smile light up on his little lips.

The tears are free falling now, because I'm happy. I'm happy our son is alive, I'm happy that he made it. I'm happy I have the husband that I have who hadn't left either of our sides.

I have everything I could ever need. Who cares if I can't have anymore kids? I already have two very beautiful children, one that was already very healthy and one that would be soon. I had a family that loved me, which included my cat who was probably freaking out about where I was AND my husband and I can have all the unprotected sex we could want and not worry about any more surprises.

What more could we need?

* * *

**Seth: Sabrina was released before Sebastian was. It may sound crazy but I think Sebastian being born early saved Sabrina's life in more than one way. Not only did we find out about the placenta in time to save her from it, but him being born sick was what kept her from being depressed when she figured out she wouldn't be able to have more kids. In no way am I saying that I was happy for this, I'm just saying, I'm grateful that he was alive, that he helped my wife feel better. **

* * *

All I want to do when we get home is hold my daughter in my arms and then go down for a nap.

Right away, the second we come home Escobar is on us. He wants to see into the baby carrier, he wants to rub against his mom's legs. He wants to see Sierra. And with him comes my mom and dad.

I'm really regretting giving these guys keys.

"We just wanted to make sure that you settled in okay," my mom says.

Sierra is already toddling towards my mother, calling for _nana_. She picks her up right away and then gestures to Sabrina to follow.

"Come on, let's get the kids down for a nap."

She nods and follows, with Escobar hot on her heels. I watch her go filled with longing, because what I want is to be doing that with her, so that when we're done, we can collapse to our bed, and hold her tight in my arms.

"We're going to be out of your hair very soon," my dad says. "Your mom made you some meals, they're in the fridge for you to heat up whenever. And there's a casserole in the oven, tuna, your favourite."

I nod. It is a relief that they've been helping us so much, between everything, without them, I wouldn't be standing. I could not have worried about my wife and my son while taking care of my daughter and our cat on my own, let alone think about things like laundry and groceries and feeding myself. I barely remembered to sleep.

"And uh… there's one last thing," he says going to his jacket and pulling out a sheaf of papers. They're tri folded and he hands them to me.

"Your mom and I… and Ashley and Karen actually, all pitched in for it," he says avoiding my eyes so I know right away that he thinks I'm going to be upset about whatever this is.

I'm left to wonder what the hell my dad bought me that has him worried I'm going to freak out.

I look at the papers, my eyes scanning them through and then they bug out. Because holy shit… No, he didn't.

Sabrina is back in the living room. She takes in my look of utter shock and comes to stand beside me.

"What is it?" Sabrina asks. She's angling to read the same papers I've been looking over.

She must have gotten the kids to bed quicker than I expected. I had told her, before we came up here, that once we had gotten the kids to go to bed, that she was to go to bed too. The doctor still wanted her on bed rest, she wasn't supposed to be straining herself. But it's just like her to not listen to me, to want to be with me over being in our bed alone, even if she was dead tired, even if she was supposed to be resting.

"He… he bought us a house."

"What?"

"A house, he bought us a house," I repeat and Sabrina snatches the paper out of my hands.

I turned wide eyes to my dad not even sure how I could even come close to showing or telling him grateful I am. Or how he so did not need to do this.

"I know you guys were thinking about getting a bigger place and with all of this… well… we thought we'd chip in and help out. We can go the bank when you're ready to put the mortgage in your name."

I have no words. I just look at my dad and I can tell by his smile that my speechless look is enough of an explanation. He knows. He knows how grateful I am.

I pull my dad in for a hug and he hugs me back without a second thought. We're only in that hug for a second before my dad reaches out and pulls Sabrina too us so she can get in the hug too.

I really would be nothing without my family.


	38. Chapter 38

Pawnshops and Carousels

**AvalonReeseFanFic**

_A/N: Well isn't this just a really late chapter. I'm sorry guys, I've been having a real problem with motivation recently. I'm going to be taking a break from posting for all my stories. I'm guessing this one will get about a month of a break before I post the last three chapters. I'll try to be quick about getting them done so it will only take another month after that for the story to be done. I know this isn't ideal but I've really been struggling keeping up with posting for all of my stories and that's not fair. So as always don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys soon!_

Chapter 38

* * *

**Les: Seth demanded time off. All the time off he'd need to get Sabrina and Sebastian home and then some time to get them settled. That amounted to a month off. And I gave him pay because he needed it. He did really well, I was really proud of him. He even got the paperwork to put the mortgage for the house we had all helped buy for him and his new family, in to his and Sabrina's name ready rather quickly. They just had to take it to the bank. **

**Lili and I were over all the time to make sure that Sabrina and Sebastian were both okay and that they were both getting healthier by the day. But that didn't mean Seth was ready to come back when he did, and even though he came back like he said he would we could all tell that his mind was on Sabrina and his son. Or at least, that's what I thought. **

* * *

Karen found me in the back. I had been hiding there because I was texting Sabrina asking for my 20th update on Sebastian and Sierra and her since I had come to work that day. Since that hospital scare, I had been super annoying, according to her. Like more overbearing than usual. But I couldn't help it, Sabrina had almost died, I could have lost Sebastian too, and that was scary to me. So, I wanted to be sure that they were always okay, it was only cause I cared.

I had chosen to text because calling her was too much, but it also meant that I had to hide from my dad and my sister. My dad because he was annoyed with all the hovering I had been doing and he kept saying to go home if I was this worried. Which I could not do because Sabrina had kicked me out because, as I mentioned before, apparently, I was stifling her.

I was avoiding my sister because she was the reason Sabrina had Sebastian prematurely. Yes, I was sure it saved her life, but it had all happened because Sabrina and Ashley had been yelling at one another. She hadn't even apologized to Sabrina yet, mainly because she refused to be alone with her, or in the same room as her for more than five minutes.

But Karen had found me and had sought me out because she had a great idea. She had said that she had just come up with it and she wanted to run it by me to see if I thought it was a good idea before she went to Les.

And I thought the idea was a really good one. I'd take any chance to promote AJL, so we both went and took it to Les.

We found my dad on the shop floor. I was sure to ask him if he had a second which he said he did so I figured, even if we weren't in the back it wouldn't matter, it wasn't really all that private of a conversation anyway.

"So, Karen was just talking to me in the back and I think she came up with a pretty good idea," I tell him. At first, he looks a little hesitant but he nods turning his attention to Karen to hear this idea.

"So, I want to have a three-ring circus here in the parking lot."

My dad looks to me and then back to Karen. "You want to put a circus outside?"

"Yeah," she says and I almost nudge her to make her talk more. She has to give him specifics or he'll never get on board. "I'm trying to bring attention to the store."

"Okay."

"So, I'm thinking that if we have a huge event, do a circus theme…"

"A circus theme," he echoes.

I can't tell if he's on board yet or not.

"Yeah," both me and Karen say together. But I add: "It would be huge."

"We could mix it together with charities."

"It you think about it, the Circus theme will draw in kids…" "…so you'll bring in families…" "…and kids will bring parents and parents will bring in money and the whole thing works."

Oh lord I've met Ashley's eyes across the store. I try to look away fast but i can already tell that she's annoyed because she's watching us with narrowed eyes.

And now she's walking over. Shit.

"Families spending money."

"I like that," Les says and I nod, of course he would. I'm distracted now, my eyes are watching Ashley come towards us like a great white stalking a sealion. "You know people coming in, spending money."

Then my dad gives me the most non-committal shrug ever and says: "Okay do it."

Wow, okay, so he doesn't sound excited but at least he's gonna let us do it. My fingers itch to get my phone. To text Sabrina and tell her all about this. She didn't want me hovering over her worrying but she still like to hear my news though, the good and the bad.

Karen, however, is grinning like she won the lottery.

"I think that you having this idea is really good. I have no problem with it. Cause I think it could work."

Aww so he's trying to give Karen some room to grow, to try new things, how sweet of him. You know he never let me and Ashley do this shit.

"What are you guys… like… huddling about?" Ashely asks, making her presence known with her attitude.

My dad, far from impressed, turns to her. "They came to me with an idea."

She hadn't even heard the idea and not only did she hit us with a disgusted _ugh_ she rolled her eyes. My dad tried to explain but I cut him off.

"You didn't even hear the idea yet and already you're putting it down…"

"Yeah, cause I can only imagine what her ideas are like."

"Well it's a joint effort," my dad says.

"Right!" Karen cried. "I want to draw attention to the store, we've all been saying that. We need more traffic, we need to move product…"

"Okay what's your idea?"

God, Ashley was so obnoxious.

"A three-ring circus in the parking lot."

Ashley had almost the same reaction as Les. "A three-ring circus in the parking lot?" she echoes. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my life."

See, see, Ashley was only saying that because we were all on board and she didn't come up with the idea herself.

"Well, it's just a circus theme, it's not gonna be a circus. I mean we're a professional pawnshop, you're not gonna have a circus."

Bless my dad's heart he thinks that Ashley thinks it's dumb because she thought a real circus was gonna pitch a tent outside our shop. He should have been able to tell, by the way Ashley's been staring down Karen, that her probable wasn't the idea, but that Karen came up with it.

"I think they are on to something. You should join them, make it a great event."

Aw. Shit.

"Oh! Now you need my help?"

Yeah, we didn't say that. Not even a little bit.

Finally, my dad gets what's going on, finally he can tell that Ashley has an attitude. He should tell her to just leave us alone and not worry about it if she's not interested in helping us, but that is not what he says.

"You will help them. Whether you like it or not."

Fuck. Me.

* * *

**Seth: Ashley comes up to me later in the day, after putting all the work onto me and Karen, and basically refusing to help us, to talk to me about the event. It's basically her accusing me of liking Karen more and being all buddy-buddy with her, and taking Karen's side when really this is about promoting AJL. If she had come up with the idea and wanted to work with me on it, I would have. It's just Karen came up with it. It could be fun, but Ashley doesn't want to have fun, she wants to cause fights and drama. She is being absolutely ridiculous but I am not going let it ruin this event. **

* * *

The second I get into AJL, with Lili carrying Sierra and me pushing Sebastian's stroller, I see Seth's eyes turn to us. It was like he had this internal compass that always pointed him in our direction, this sixth sense that was tied to us.

He leaves the fur counter where he had been standing with Karen and comes to me immediately.

"What are you doing here, Reenie?" he asks the second he gets close. But Sierra is already shrieking _daddy_ in that excited little girl way of hers, so he goes to her first. He takes her from Lili which quiets her right away, and then he's beside me, pressing a kiss to my cheek and then he's leaning in to the stroller to check on Sebastian.

So far Sebastian is less dramatic than Sierra, he's altogether a quiet boy who rarely fusses, and when he does it's for a specific reason.

At this very moment, he's bundled up so he won't get cold, and is asleep. Completely dead to the world.

Once Seth is done checking us all over, I turn my smile up to him. "We all missed you so we decided to come visit you at work."

"Sabrina," he groans but I turn with that big grin and he just melts. He's always so happy to see me, even if I was supposed to be on bed rest. He turns to Lili and hits her with a whiny: "Mom!"

"She wouldn't listen to reason, what was I supposed to do? Chain her to the bed?"

"You could, we have handcuffs in the bedside table," he says and I smack him, his mom doesn't need to know that we get kinky sometimes.

By this point Karen has come to see us too, though she's more interested in the new baby, which is pretty typical.

"We're also here to see Les, he likes seeing his grandkids after all," I tell him but Seth shakes his head.

"No, Ashley went in there, she's pissed."

I narrow my eyes at Seth, Ashley could be angry for any number of reasons but I ask: "What did you do?" because that the more likely scenario.

"Nothing, I swear, we just…" he pauses to glance at Karen, the two share a little bit of a secretive smile, before he finishes with: "We just gave her the costume we want her to wear for the event."

Oh great.

"It's the clown costume, isn't it?" I ask and Karen looks surprised as if she didn't think that Seth would have let me in on that secret. Well, the jokes on her, cause he tells me everything. He nods this big grin on his face but both me and Lili are not impressed. "You knew that wouldn't go well, I told you not to."

Also true. But just like I rarely listen to him about the little things, Seth doesn't listen to me either.

"You know I hate it when you two fight," Lili adds in. "And you know you instigate, you have ever since you were little."

"Mom, we're all wearing costumes, I'm wearing one too. Dad says she has to help, and this is how she's going to help, by being in theme for our event."

That's a good point too, but we all know Ashley wasn't for this idea and she was going to protest to any form of them asking her for help, even if Les has told her to do it.

"Alright, well, let's go save Les from Ashley," I announce already pushing the stroller towards the back.

"What? Reenie! No!" my husband cries as he follows after me. But he doesn't stop me, either. He darts forward to open all the doors for me.

When I get to Les's office, I can see Ashley looks far from impressed, and the clown costume is out of the bag on his desk.

They've clearly been arguing.

"Hello," I say cheerfully. "We came to visit Grandpa Les today."

Les is immediately smiling. He stands right away to get a look at the sleeping Sebastian, and then he tries to take Sierra from Seth and fails because Seth never lets his little girl go.

Ashely is wide eyed staring at me, Les's office is too cramped for her to make a hasty exit as Lili and Karen have followed us. I look down to the clown costume and ask: "What's going on here?"

"Oh, like you don't know," Ashley snaps, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at me. Fair, cause I did know, wasn't going to tell her that.

"It's the costume we'd like her to wear for the event, we all have one, it goes with the theme," Karen says and Ashley rolls her eyes.

"Oh! That's cute. That's such a great idea!"

"You're hopped up on pain meds and pregnancy hormones," Ashley cries. "You also don't work here right now so you don't get a say!"

She's raised her voice at me, and right away Seth has put Sierra in Les's arms and come to stand between me and Ashley like his body will shield me from her words.

"Do not talk to her like that! Have you not learned your lesson?"

"Okay… let's calm down here," I say before my husband can really fly off the handle. "Why don't you tell me why you don't want to wear it."

"Because it's embarrassing!" Ashley cries.

"Ash, we're all going to be in costumes," Seth says, he's probably had to repeat that sentence to her over and over, but he doesn't sound too upset. "You have to wear it."

"No, it's not happening," she snaps back her arms folded across her chest.

"You were told to help us, Dad said you have to help us and this will be how you help."

"I will help you but I'm not wearing that!"

Seth was clearly done trying to reason with her. "You yelled at my wife until she went into premature labour. You owe me."

"Seth," I chide, because that's a horrible thing to hold over his sister's head. "It wasn't her fault."

Seth turns a dry glare to me and I just shrug it away. "Really, Seth," I say again before turning to Ashley. "Would it really be that bad to dress up as a clown for one day? It's just to fit with the circus theme so they're not really singling you out. Circuses really do have clowns, you know…"

"Oh, don't you have another baby to push out?" Ashley snaps. It's a dig about how quickly we got pregnant after Sierra but all I remember is that I'll never be able to have kids again and my face falls.

"_Ashley_!" Seth thunders, and then just like that, she's taken the clown costume and left.

Seth turns to me, he's obviously upset about what she said but I just shrug. "It's fine, she didn't mean it like that," I say but the tears are starting to brim in my eyes.

He crosses to me right away, and pulls me into a hug. "I'm just be silly," I tell him as the tears start to fall and he says nothing. "It's the hormones I swear. I'm fine."

But I was lying.

It took a really long time to get me to stop crying.

Les, Lili and Karen both yelled at Ashley for her insensitive comment, which was uncalled for because she hadn't meant it that way, but Ashley agreed to wear the costume, so I call it a win.


End file.
